Hacker: Future Conflict
by 18Tsunayoshi69
Summary: Nono, his parents, and the Arcobaleno are all dead. Trapped in a future that's falling apart, Tsuna must fight with both himself and the dreaded Millefiore famiglia. Sequel to Hacker.
1. Reborn Missing

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR. If I did Tsuna would be a true super uke and smarter, sorry as much as I love and will write about the lovable idiot, Goku and Naruto have made it so too many main characters are idiots.

Summary: Nono, his parents, and the Arcobaleno are all dead. Trapped in a future that's falling apart, Tsuna must fight with both himself and the dreaded Millefiore famiglia. Sequel to Hacker.

Chapter 1: Reborn Missing

Tsuna watched in fascination as pink smoke surrounded the spot Reborn had just been standing in. He knew the Arcobaleno had been looking for a way to break whatever curse kept them in their diminutive bodies, and this would let him see if they succeeded.

"…"

Tsuna waited for the smoke to clear… only to see nothing.

"Reborn?"

Tsuna swallowed nervously at the empty space Reborn left behind. He knew there was only one reason why someone wouldn't switch places with their future self and that didn't bode well for the Sun Arcobaleno. It left Tsuna with one frantic question.

Who could kill the strongest hitman?

Tsuna pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath before looking at the children. I-Pin and Fuuta were looking at the spot Reborn had been standing in with blatant worry, the seriousness of the situation seeming to dawn on them as well. Lambo, on the other hand, looked ready to panic, fearing he was in trouble, but was doing a good job at holding in his tears.

"Lambo." Lambo started and looked at Tsuna with wide panicked eyes. "I'm not angry."

"Really?"

Lambo sniffed and cautiously move forward to retrieve the Ten Year Bazooka, but Tsuna grabbed it first.

"No, but I need to check this and make sure it's working properly, okay?"

"R-right, Tsuna-nii." Lambo sniffed again but didn't argue as Tsuna slung the bazooka over his shoulder. "Be-because Reborn should have been switched, right?"

"That's right." Tsuna knelt down and gently patted Lambo's afro. "How about you guys go and play with Akira while I wait for Reborn to come back."

"Ok."

Tsuna's smile disappeared as the kids hurried back into the house. He hadn't said anything to Lambo about it, but the look he'd seen on Fuuta's face was enough to let him know the older child had noticed it as well.

Ten minutes have already passed.

Tsuna turned around and started making his way to Kyoya's house; it was where he had most of his tools stashed. As he trudged down the street, the implications of Reborn's disappearance began to assault him.

Reborn from the future not appearing probably meant the Sun Arcobaleno had died at some point in the next ten years, which, however unlikely, was very possible considering his profession. Reborn not returning could also be attributed to the future Reborn being dead, as there was no one to switch with the time limit could become skewed. But Tsuna doubted that was the case, nothing was ever that simple when involving the Ten Year Bazooka.

It was the other possibility that was making his insides go cold and clench with a horrible sense of guilt. If Reborn's disappearance had anything to do with the modification's he'd made to the bazooka… who's to say the same thing couldn't have happened to Lambo? Maybe the modifications had caused the bazooka to malfunction; trapping Reborn in a future he may or may not be dead in.

"Damn it all."

Tsuna sped up his pace as he reached Kyoya's street. When he got to the house, he didn't even bother knocking. Kyoya wouldn't be home for a few hours and Tsuna didn't want to waste time arguing with the maids. Besides, he had a permanent room for whenever he stayed at Kyoya's.

He immediately got to work stripping down the purple Bazooka, in a hurry but still careful and marking all of the details. Every wire was checked for connection, every screw was checked for tightness, and all of the other little components were checked for proper placement and balance.

Tsuna poured over the intricate piece of technology for close to two hours before he put it back together and set it on the queen bed. He sighed dejectedly as he went over the two scenarios again, carefully weighing all of the evidence and all of the possible options.

The Ten Year Bazooka was working perfectly.

Reborn not switching with his future self and being gone for more than ten minutes could only mean one thing, future Reborn was dead.

Unless there was technology that could keep someone from the past in the future, or prevent the switch. As far as Tsuna knew, such technology didn't exist and likely wouldn't serve much purpose. Everything seemed to just keep going back to Reborn being…

"Damn it think!" Tsuna placed his elbows on his knees and rested his face in the palm of his hands. "How did this happen and what can I do about it?"

Tsuna got up and began pacing up and down the length of the room, his right elbow resting on the palm of his left hand as his he held the right hand up to his chin. He went back over every scenario, how it happened and why, trying to think of a way to get Reborn back to the present.

*Bang*

Tsuna nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the large bang. He almost thought the bazooka had gone off, before realizing the noise had come from outside. A quick look out the window confirmed a car had backfired.

Tsuna sighed and slouched back down on the bed, mentally exhausted from the situation. He leaned back, making a soft thump as he laid on the bed, feet still dangling of the edge. He placed his arms over his face, blocking out the glare of the florescent light.

*Bang*

He jumped again, but not as badly this time.

_Car needs a tune up. _He thought absent mindedly. He allowed his attention to wander, hoping his subconscious would present him with a piece of the puzzle he'd missed. _Old clunkers like that need to be looked at all the time. Guy should get with the times._

*Bang*

Tsuna's entire body stiffened as an idea started forming in his mind, a bad idea.

_Get with the times…_

*Bang*

It was stupid; doing it would be too risky. Even if the bazooka was working perfectly, if he… he could be…

*Bang*

Tsuna got up and ran out of house as fast as he could.

"Why don't you let me take a look?"

The young man in his mid 20's, who'd been fiddling under the hood of a beat up old Datsun Bluebird P410, gave Tsuna a skeptical look as his handsome face twisted into a frown.

"Have experience with cars, shonen?"

"My uncle's a mechanic." Tsuna lied smoothly, showing no hint of deceit. "He taught me a few things about fixing cars. That Datsun has a 4 cylinder engine, right?"

Skepticism somewhat alleviated, the man backed up and allowed Tsuna to take a look at the rusted motor.

"She just started making that banging noise today." The man leaned in next to Tsuna, carefully watching every move he made. "Checked the oil, but that's about the only thing I know about cars."

Tsuna hummed in agreement as he pulled his Leatherman out of his back pocket and opened it up to the pliers.

"When was the last time you had it looked at?"

"This old hunk of junk?" The man snorted as he watched Tsuna lift the rocker cover. "What're you doing?"

"Checking the spark plug." Tsuna carefully set down the cover. "A car usually back fires when there's something wrong with the gas or old wiring causing a delayed or volatile start."

"Is it hard to fix?"

"Not really, but once it starts to go your better off getting a new car than dealing with all of the subsequent repair bills. Problems like this usually lead to other."

"Yeah, and then I'll invent time travel." The man scoffed and didn't notice the subtle tension in Tsuna's shoulders. "Then I can either tell my past self the results of sports games and races, or go to the future for the lottery numbers coming up. Then I'd have the money for a decent car."

"What if you got stuck?" Tsuna carefully examined the wiring; the Cylinder head put his inspection at an awkward angle. "You'd be even worse off then, wouldn't you?"

"Then I'd just have to settle for going to the future."

"What!" Tsuna jerked his head up, but quickly composed himself at the sight of the man's suspicious glance. "I mean… how would it make a difference if you went to the past or future?"

"Well." He scratched his chin and seemed to think of how to answer. "If I can invent time travel now, who's to say the machine wouldn't be in the future too, or someone else hadn't figured it out by the time I get there."

Tsuna said nothing as he carefully replaced the rocker cover and retightened the bolts, trying to absorb what the man had said. After a few moments of awkward silence, Tsuna sighed.

"The spark plug is completely rusted; it looks like some water got in."

"Damn." The man cursed and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess she really is done then."

"It's not that expensive, only about 500 yen." Tsuna closed the hood. "You should be able to get a few more months out of it before you should really consider getting another car."

The man sighed and reached into his pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes. Tsuna just watched as the man lit a cigarette, his face impassive.

"Well, thanks for the help anyway, shonen."

Tsuna studied the handsome man's face for a moment. He was obviously a foreigner, with his olive toned skin and impressive height. His wavy black hair was pulled into a low pony tail, only allowing a few strands to fall and frame his narrow face, accentuating the warm golden brown color of his eyes. Tsuna couldn't help but think the small beauty mark under his left eye was well deserved.

"You could go into modeling." Tsuna flushed slightly as the man raised an eyebrow. "I mean, your foreign features would attract some photographers. I know a few who say they like the "exotic" looking men of Europe."

"You think." The man seemed to ponder this for a moment before giving Tsuna a charming smile that made his flush deepen. "Maybe I'll take you up on that if you're willing to help out."

Tsuna quickly pulled out a card and handed it to the man, averting his eyes as he tried to get his flush under control.

"Here… call them and ask for Asami. Say Sawada Tsunayoshi recommended as a potential new model."

"That your name, shonen? Tsunayoshi?"

"Yeah."

"Names Tyki." He held out his hand. "Tyki Mikk, or Mikk Tyki here."

Tsuna nearly swallowed his tongue as gripped the hand and recognized who he was talking to.

"You're… but you…?"

"The Earl cut me off for a year. Says I need to become self sufficient. This piece of crap is the only thing he gave me."

"Right." Tsuna ran a hand through his fluffy hair, trying to hold in the laugh that wanted to come up. "Funny how things work out."

When Tsuna made his way back into his room in Kyoya's house, his doubts were alleviated. While he hadn't intended to give Tyki's depressed musings much thought at first, the fact that the Noah family was actually heavily invested in time travel and wormhole research gave him a bit more security.

"Funny how things work."

He repeated as he approached the purple bazooka. Meeting a Noah certainly did seem like fate.

Tsuna sighed as he picked up the Ten Year Bazooka and pointed it at himself. No more doubts filtered into his head as he pulled the trigger, not noticing the head of red hair watching him from across the street as he was engulfed in pink smoke.

(A.N. Sorry it took a couple of days to get in, but I had a family emergency and didn't have time to put this up. To all you D. Gray-man fans, I hope you enjoyed the Noah and Tyki reference. I'm sorry to say that will be the only D. Gray-man reference; I just hate using complete OC's in a fanfiction. I may mention him in passing later when I bring Asami back in, but that will be it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story and give me plenty of reviews. Ja ne.)


	2. Waking Up in a Coffin Sucks

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR. If I did Tsuna would be a true super uke and smarter, sorry as much as I love and will write about the lovable idiot, Goku and Naruto have made it so too many main characters are idiots.

Summary: Nono, his parents, and the Arcobaleno are all dead. Trapped in a future that's falling apart, Tsuna must fight with both himself and the dreaded Millefiore famiglia. Sequel to Hacker.

Chapter 2: Waking Up in a Coffin Sucks

*Sigh* "I'm so hungry."

A pudgy man in a black suit and tie looked up as his computer gave off a tell tale beep. He punched in a few keys, trying to pin point the location of the energy source. The man almost spit out the coffee he'd been sipping when he read the coordinates.

"Reborn-sama! He's here!"

Reborn and two other individuals raced into the computer room.

"Where?"

"The coffin."

KHRKHRKHRKHR

At the same time in a different location, a red haired man looked up as his own computer gave off a similar beep.

"A new ring?"

He sighed and typed in a few commands for a satellite to bring up an image of the owner.

"Irie-sama."

The red haired man looked up to see two women with pink hair; one of them was holding a tray with a white mug on it.

"Thanks."

The man identified as Irie took the mug from the tray, but promptly dropped it as the computer gave another beep and a picture came up. He stared in disbelief at the sight that greeted him. An empty clearing, with nothing in it but a six sided, black wooden box.

"Irie-sama… is that…?"

Irie gulped and nodded.

"Sawada Tsunayoshi."

KHRKHRKHR

Tsuna watched in fascination as he fell through a funnel of colors. Everything was warped and distorted; making it impossible to tell which way was which. It almost reminded him of one of those spinning tunnels at a carnival, the ones no one can walk in a straight line through.

It was actually starting to make Tsuna feel sick.

Tsuna sighed in relief when the world went dark and he was lying on a soft surface. His relief quickly turned to confusion, however, as he realized he didn't have much room to move. Tsuna lifted his arms and easily lifted and pushed off the lid to whatever he was sitting in.

Tsuna hissed as the bright afternoon sun hit his sensitive eyes and promptly shut them again. His mind was still sluggish from the dizzying trip through time, so he waited a moment before attempting to open his eyes once more.

He was greeted with blue skies and pink petals dancing above him. He sat up cautiously, mindful of his queasy stomach, and observed the well lit clearing.

It somehow… seemed wrong. The trees were covered in blooming pink sakura blossoms, indicating he was in a fair sized cherry orchard in the middle of spring. That wasn't possible, though, because the sakura trees finished shedding their blossoms almost a month ago in his time.

"The hell is going on?"

Tsuna placed his hand at his side, intent on pushing himself into a standing position, only to be startled by the feeling of a wooden edge. He looked down at his hand, only to find he was sitting in a rectangular black box. A quick swipe of his hand against the side confirmed the wood to be black cheery, rich and expensive. He looked to the other side to see the lid he'd pushed off earlier and froze.

The fog from earlier was finally starting to lift and Tsuna didn't like the images his clear mind was producing. The lid was black cherry, just like the box he was sitting in, but looking down on it he realized the implications of its six sided shape and the Vongola symbol painted on it. A quick look down told Tsuna all he need to know.

White Chrysanthemum's.

"Am I dead?" Tsuna's face quickly lost color as he brought one of the flowers to his face for inspection. "I'm in a coffin with funeral flowers…"

Tsuna took a deep breath and tried to fight down the panic that threatened to bubble up. If he hyperventilated all he'd manage to accomplish would be knocking himself out. Panicking only got people killed in these situations; Tsuna knew that better than anyone. No, he needed to keep his mind focused and his breathing stable as he tried to come up with a logical explanation as to why his future self would be in a coffin.

"In ten years, I'll be dead."

Tsuna didn't like the idea of dying at 24.

"Who's there?"

Tsuna jerked his head up at the angry and familiar voice.

KHRKHRKHRKHR

A younger red haired boy, who looked much like the one identified as Irie, sighed in relief as he spotted the pink smoke in the second story window of Hibari Kyoya's house.

"Thank kami." He started walking across the street. "At least I don't have to try and get him too."

The red head cautiously walked into the house and made his way up to the room he'd seen Tsuna disappear in. His eyes widened in delight as he identified various tools strewn out across the room, all used on delicate machinery.

"He like's this stuff too?"

The red head shook his head and picked up the Ten Year Bazooka, keeping the device as arms length as he walked back out of the house, eager to get out before Kyoya returned home.

As he got a safe distance from the house he pulled out a small piece of paper and glanced at the names, dates, and times written on it.

"Gokudera Hayato, send within an hour, but no sooner than ten minutes after sending Sawada Tsunayoshi."

The younger Irie sighed as he made his way toward the apartment building he knew Gokudera lived in, not daring to go against whomever left him the note.

KHRKHRKHRKHR

Tsuna's head shot to the side and his eyes widened as he took in the person standing at the entrance of a path that undoubtedly led through the orchard.

"Hayato?"

Said Guardian's eyes widened as he realized who was sitting in his boss' coffin.

"Juudaime!"

Tsuna studied his future Storm Guardian as the older man dropped to his knees next to the coffin. He'd grown taller, reaching about 5' 10", and his features had matured some. His eyes were slightly narrower and his face had lost much of its childish roundness, becoming well sculpted with relatively high cheek bones. His wardrobe had also undergone a change as he wasn't wearing skulls and chains, but a black suit with a red button up shirt and black tie. Other than that, however, his Guardian remained easily identifiable.

"Juudaime…"

Hayato repeated, almost as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His eyes were wide and glistening, as if he was trying to hold in tears.

"Hayato… why-"

"Juudaime!" Hayato suddenly grabbed his shoulders, eyes serious. "When your ten minutes are up, you need to find and kill someone!"

"What?"

Hayato dug into his jacket pocket and produced a picture of a bespectacled red head. The same one who Tsuna hadn't noticed watching him.

"His name is Irie Shouichi and he's a member of the Millefiore famiglia." Tsuna raised an eyebrow as he took the photo. "It's a new famiglia that's been making a bid for the top."

"Why does this guy need to die in my time then?" Tsuna glance down at the coffin, hoping this Shouichi guy didn't have anything to do with putting his future self in it. "Wouldn't it be better not to mess with the space time continuum and risk changing the past?"

"I know." Hayato ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "But if you don't kill him in your time, he'll eventually…"

Hayato trailed off and looked at the ground, but Tsuna wasn't going to let him stop there. He needed to know if this had anything to do with how he ended up in a coffin.

"Eventually what?"

"… Kill you."

KHRKHRKHR

It only took a few minutes for Irie Shouichi to locate the irritable bomber in the past, but he was in the busy shopping district, so Shouichi had to follow him for a few minutes. Shouichi kept glancing down at his watch, swallowing a lump that made its way into his throat as he realized it had already been fifteen minutes since Tsuna had gone into the past. He needed to get Hayato within the next 45 minutes or something bad was bound to happen.

Luckily for Shoichi, Hayato took a detour into the park, which was blissfully empty, and sat down on a park bench. Shoichi crept forward until he was within range of the bazooka, which the note informed him Tsuna had improved to fifteen feet.

"I'm sorry."

Shouichi muttered as he pulled the trigger and Hayato was engulfed in a familiar pink smoke.

Shouichi worried his lip as he sat down and looked at his watch. He would have to wait in the park for the next ten minutes in order to confirm that the volatile teen wouldn't be coming back from the hellish future he'd seen.

"I'm sorry."

He repeated as his eyes began to water and he sniffed.

"It's all my fault."

KHRKHRKHR

"This guy… killed me?" Tsuna tried to swallow a stubborn lump that formed in his throat. Even if he's suspected it, he didn't want it to be true. "How?"

"He… they…" Hayato sighed and pulled out a pack of cigarettes, Tsuna absent mindedly noted them to be the same brand Tyki had been smoking before he shook his head and tried to clear it of useless thoughts. "The Millefiore famiglia has issued an execution order for anyone and everyone affiliated with the Vongola famiglia, in hopes of prying the Vongola rings off of our corpses."

Tsuna lifted his right hand to eye level and examined the ring on his middle finger, the ring that so many people were willing to kill for. He glance at Hayato's hand and was startled to realize his Guardian wasn't wearing the Storm Ring.

"Hayato… where's you ring?"

Hayato paused in raising a cigarette to his mouth and sighed. He rubbed his right hand as a look of shame passed over his face.

"Juudaime… you realized that we likely wouldn't be able to keep the Millefiore from getting all of the rings." Hayato pulled out a lighter and lit the cigarette. "In order to protect the integrity of the rings, you ordered them destroyed."

Tsuna's eyes widened as he realized the implication of destroying the four hundred year old artifacts, the blood right of the Vongola famiglia, the third component of the all powerful Tri-Ni-Set policy.

"What about the Arcobaleno and the Mare Rings?" Tsuna asked desperately. He could think of only one reason why his future self would destroy the rings and it wasn't good. "What happened with them? Where is Reborn and all of the others?" He was almost hysterical. "Reborn was hit with the Ten Year Bazooka first… but no one came through on the other side."

Hayato looked startled at his boss' tone, but his expression quickly turned to one of sadness.

"The Millefiore famiglia had the Mare Rings from the beginning… and they took the Arcobaleno pacifiers by force." Hayato chewed on the end of his cigarette, not caring as the edges became frayed. "The seven strongest infants are dead… including Reborn."

"But how?"

Before Hayato could answer, he disappeared into a familiar pink smoke, a pink smoke that Tsuna had seen on a multiple occasions since the start of the training for the Ring Conflict.

"Juudaime?"

"Hayato?" Tsuna stared as his future Guardian was replaced by the one from the present, who seemed to have been grocery shopping. "Why did you use the bazooka?"

Hayato blinked in confusion before taking in his surroundings.

"This is the future?"

Tsuna nodded, anxiety creeping up once more as he realized Hayato hadn't traveled to the future willingly. One glance at the watch on his wrist confirmed he'd been in the future for nearly a half hour, much longer than his set ten minute time limit. Like Reborn, he hadn't returned to the past.

"Hayato… I think we're trapped here."

"What?"

Hayato stood and looked around frantically, as if trying to find some explanation for Tsuna's words.

"Hayato." Tsuna sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've been here for well over ten minutes."

"Juudaime!" Tsuna glanced up at the urgency in Hayato's voice. He winced when he saw the look of horror on Hayato's face as he stared directly at the coffin Tsuna was still seated in. "Why is Juudaime in a coffin?"

"Hayato, we need to find Reborn." Tsuna tried to calm down his nearly hyperventilating Guardian, even as he wasn't far behind in the panicking department. "He came through first, so he probably knows more about what's going on."

"Juu-"

Hayato was cut off as an enormous purple centipede burst into the clearing, heading straight for the two of them.

(A.N. Tsuna is normally calm under pressure, but I think anyone would be a little freaked out by the prospect of their own impending death. Anyway, tell me what you think. Don't hold back if you think something could be done to make it better, but I won't accept any outright insulting flames. I should probably have the next chapter up tomorrow, ja ne.)


	3. Vongola Base

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR. If I did Tsuna would be a true super uke and smarter, sorry as much as I love and will write about the lovable idiot, Goku and Naruto have made it so too many main characters are idiots.

Summary: Nono, his parents, and the Arcobaleno are all dead. Trapped in a future that's falling apart, Tsuna must fight with both himself and the dreaded Millefiore famiglia. Sequel to Hacker.

Chapter 3: Vongola Base

Tsuna and Hayato quickly jumped out of the way as the centipede smashed into the coffin Tsuna had been sitting in only moments before. Tsuna tucked and fell into a roll as he hit the ground, using the momentum; he sprang right back to his feet. Gloves on and darts out, he was ready to fight.

He paused only a second when he saw the thick coating of purple flames engulfing the giant centipede, but shook it off as Hayato through a volley of dynamite at the over grown insect. Seeing that the explosives had no effect, Tsuna activated his Dying Will Flame and poured a little into his darts.

"Damn!"

Hayato had to jump out of the way again as the centipede locked on him as an aggressor. Tsuna took advantage of the centipedes' distraction and launched his own volley of flame coated darts.

"Hayato! Get down!"

Hayato dived behind a nearby tree as three darts stuck in the massive insect. The centipede began to flail, not due to the flames, but the poison that bled into its system. Tsuna took to the sky, but watched closely as the light coating of sky flames were absorbed by the centipede as it slowly over came the weak poison he'd placed on the darts.

"Absorbent." Tsuna narrowed his eyes at the purple flames protruding from the insect's body. "They feel like dying will flames…"

Tsuna locked eyes with Hayato and gave him subtle directions with his eyes. Hayato nodded and headed further into the dense orchard and out of sight, leaving Tsuna with the recovered centipede.

The centipede seemed to lock onto Tsuna's location and launched its entire body in his direction. Tsuna allowed the centipede to surround him in the air, unconcerned about the small pull he felt on his flames. Tsuna took a hold of the armored body and the "X" on his glove turned into a roman numeral "I." The pull got stronger, but it no longer mattered as he began to freeze its entire body.

"Zamza!"

Tsuna smirked as the one controlling the centipede yelled from within the orchard. He only had to wait another ten seconds before a small explosion sounded from the same area. Hayato chased a tall, cloaked figure with a strange visor over its eyes, from the orchard and out into the open clearing, where Tsuna was ready and waiting.

"Hello there."

He said pleasantly as he hovered just above the grass a few feet from their assailant. The cloaked figure turned with a start and raised its arm, which was covered with a strange gauntlet, as if to attack, but was unable to as the unknown device and the attackers feet were quickly covered in ice.

"Heh." The figure laughed and raised its unfrozen arm up to its face. "Not bad for a couple of brats from the past."

"Oi! Who are you call brats, woman!" Hayato growled at the stranger. "And how do you know we're from the past?"

Tsuna narrowed his eyes as the strange visor was lifted and the cloak lowered, revealing a beautiful young woman in her 20's. She had semi-long messy blue hair that that framed a heart shaped face and hard brown eyes. Her appearance was that of a hardened fighter, but what gave Tsuna pause was a strange scar on her left cheek.

"Lal Mirch?"

She gave a hard, humorless grin and Tsuna cautiously melted the ice.

"Juudaime!"

"It's alright." Tsuna lowered himself to the ground and allowed his dying will to extinguish as the centipede became a mass of purple fire and disappeared into a small box Lal held up. "She's with the Vongola, one of the CEDEF that works for my father, and an Arcobaleno."

"Failed Arcobaleno." She corrected sharply as her eyes narrowed slightly and her mouth curved down into a small frown. "As you can see, my incomplete curse has allowed me to regain my true form."

"Are you sure we can trust her, Juudaime?" Hayato whispered into Tsuna's ear. "Even if she did work for your father in the past, she just attacked us now and I heard the Arcobaleno Skull and Verde are always trying to attack prominent mafia famiglia's like the Vongola, especially the Vongola."

"I needed to assess your skills." Hayato jumped as Lal spoke from ten feet away. "I'm glad to say you did not disappoint. That was a good use of strategy to draw me out and reclaim the advantage after being ambushed."

"Thank you." Tsuna couldn't help but smirk slightly at the praise. "It's an honor to be praised by the one who trained Colonello."

Tsuna frowned as she winced at the mention of the Rain Arcobaleno. If what future Hayato said was true, and Tsuna knew Hayato would never lie to him, than every Arcobaleno except Lal was dead.

"Colonello-san?" Hayato questioned, his gaze still untrusting (despite his earlier statement, Tsuna couldn't help but feel proud of his Guardian's less volatile and intelligent show of caution), but he didn't light any more dynamite. "He's the one Turf Top trained with."

"Yeah." Tsuna nodded as he studied Lal's carefully blank expression. "So it's true, their all dead. The Arcobaleno are no more."

Hayato's eyes widened and his mouth hung open lightly as Lal's face grew tight and her fists clenched.

"Yes." She walked over to the demolished casket and picked up a small brief case Tsuna hadn't noticed before and tossed it to Hayato. "I believe the Gokudera of this time left behind some documents and items that may help clarify the situation." She handed it to Hayato, who hesitantly took it when Tsuna urged him to do so. She then handed both of them a small chain. "Put those over any rings you have on."

"How did things get so bad?" Tsuna worried his lip slightly as he did as told and his gaze returned to the coffin. "How did I die?"

"Juudaime…"

Hayato's clenched his fists and shot Lal a look that demanded answers.

"I don't have time to fill you in on the details right now." She walked back toward the path leading out of the clearing. "You'll get your explanation once we return to the base."

Hayato looked like he was going to argue, but Tsuna silenced him with a stern look. The two followed Lal in silence as she guided them out of the orchard and into a dense wooded area. Seeing this, Tsuna realized where he was with a start.

"Why are we still in Namimori?"

"It's where you will said you wanted to be laid to rest."

Nothing more was said as Lal led them to another small clearing. She had them wait in the cover of the trees as she checked the area for anyone watching and opened up hidden hatch on the ground. Hayato looked slightly impressed by the underground base, but Tsuna was just hoping it was more interesting and original than the Estraneo Bunker.

"What kind of security measures does this place use?"

"Full body genetic scans and illusion proof cameras at every entrance and finger print scans in the elevators for identification. For defense we have five inch thick titanium, water tight doors that are reinforced with carbon fiber, machine guns and lasers that are active 24/7, and extreme temperature controls for cold and heat." She paused in front of an elevator door and laid her palm on it to scan before they were emitted. "The cameras are monitored at all times and sensitive computer software informs us immediately if any intruders or malfunctions are detected."

"How advance is the computer software?"

"We used to have access to top grade military satellites and had a worldwide connection, but after you died… Apparently you were the only one capable of keeping the Millefiore from dominating technology wise. Now we have to make do with only having access to outdated external software." The elevator doors opened once more and she led them down a fair sized and sparsely decorated hallway. "Thanks to you, however, the software and technology within the base is completely separate from the outside, so the Millefiore can't access it or find this place. What you left us is truly top of the line."

"How long have you… has the Vongola known about Yoshi?" Tsuna questioned cautiously. "The Vongola of my time doesn't know yet."

"Nearly ten years. You told Nono during your trip to Italy after the Ring Conflict." She gave him a small smile. "Don't worry; we haven't said anything to Reborn."

"So he is here." Tsuna internally sighed in relief. If anyone was going to tell Reborn about Yoshie it would have to be him. "I was worried something bad may have happened to him when he didn't return to the past."

"Sawada." Lal paused in front of a large metal door. "Reborn is here but he may be weaker than normal."

Tsuna didn't get the chance to ask her what she meant as she opened the door to reveal a comfortable lounge area. A soft looking L-shaped sofa and love seat set were on either side of an oak coffee table with a lap top sitting on it. A large television/computer monitor dominated the wall opposite of the door. A few potted plants and paintings gave the room some personality, but what caught Tsuna's attention was the small form enjoying a cup of coffee on the sofa.

"Reborn… what are you wearing?"

Reborn was dressed in an all white body suite that covered him from head to toe, leaving only his face exposed. His yellow pacifier was also covered in a clear plastic case is it dangled over his neck. All in all, he looked very much like an alien and it was taking all of Tsuna self control and sense of self preservation to keep him from laughing outright at the scene.

"It's for his safety, Juudaime." Said a short, pudgy balding man, who Tsuna recognized to be Giannini, as he entered the lounge. "The Millefiore has created some substance that is dangerous to the Arcobaleno. The call it the non-tri-ni-set policy."

Tsuna's eyes widened and glanced down at the Vongola Sky Ring on his finger.

"Don't worry." Lal said as she sat on the love seat. "It only affects the Arcobaleno because it isn't just the pacifiers that are part of the set, but the Arcobaleno's actual physical being."

"Due to the state of this world, I'm unable to survive without this suit." Reborn replied, his voice tight. "Even in the shielded environment of the base, the affects of the non-tri-ni-set policy is wearing on my body."

"But wait?" Hayato stepped forward. "If we abide by the laws of time and space shouldn't we have already known about this threat and the future compensated for itself." Tsuna nodded in agreement, this whole situation was surreal. "Lal Mirch mentioned earlier that the Juudaime and the Guardian's of this time went to Italy after the Ring Conflict, something that just happened in our time."

"That's the thing." Reborn's eyes narrowed as he took another sip of espresso. "This never happened to the us of this time."

"I had a feeling that was the case." Tsuna's eyebrows furrowed and his lips formed a thin line. "I have a feeling that us just being here has already changed the course of time in our past. This isn't something time can account for so… this must be a parallel world that branches off just after the Ring Conflict."

"But if this is a parallel world, why did we end up here?" Hayato walked up to Reborn, his face stressed. "Shouldn't we have gone to the future our time was destined for?"

"That's the thing." Tsuna sat down next to Reborn and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm certain that this is the future we were meant for originally, but we weren't supposed to come to the future." Tsuna gave Reborn an appraising look. "If Reborn hadn't been hit by the bazooka in the first place, I wouldn't have come and then you probably wouldn't have been sent here either."

"Juudaime… you don't mean…"

"I think someone in either the past or the future arranged for us to be trapped in a parallel future." Reborn nodded as Lal, Hayato, and Giannini listen closely. "Otherwise the future Hayato should have expected and prepared for my arrival, as he would already know the three of us would end up in the future."

"But who or what could have caused such a temporal disturbance?" Giannini stepped forward. "As you said, we were not expecting you, so it was pure luck that we found Reborn-san so soon after he arrived in this time and I had already finished these suits shortly before the last of the Arcobaleno died. Whoever or whatever trapped you here had to know he might die."

"About that, I think he was just motivation to get the rest of us here." Tsuna pulled out the picture of Irie Shouichi from his pocket. "The Hayato of this time told me something that might be motive for trapping past versions of the current tenth generation of Vongola in the future… something this man wants."

"Irie Shouichi." Lal commented as she looked at the photo. "He's in charge of the Japanese branch of the Millefiore famiglia. What would he want from…?" Her eyes widened as he gaze drifted over the hand that held the photo.

"That's right, something that doesn't exist in this time, but does in the past." Tsuna set the photo down on the coffee table and held up his hand. "Something the Hayato of this time claims I destroyed."

"The Vongola Rings." Reborn finished and Hayato looked down at his own hand. "Giannini told me the Millefiore famiglia has been attempting to get its hands on a completed tri-ni-set… but how do you know about the tri-ni-set Tsuna? The holders of the Vongola Rings aren't told about their place in maintaining balance until after the official inheritance ceremony."

Tsuna stiffened and felt a large sweat drop form on the back of his head. That was something he'd learned about while going through Nono's files.

"That's not important right now." He said quickly, turning his gaze away from Reborn's suspicious one. "What is important is that we're stuck in a parallel world and it has something to do with this man."

Reborn continued to glare at Tsuna for a few more moments before turning his gaze back to the photo. Finding out Tsuna's secrets could wait until they were safely back in the past.

"So far all we have are a few theories." Giannini sat on the short part of the L-shaped couch and opened the laptop on the coffee table. "But you're right, from what we know, Irie Shouichi was in charge of obtaining the Vongola Rings before you ordered them destroyed. Afterwards, he was the one to…"

"Kill me." Tsuna said as casually as he could, trying to ignore how everyone got tense. "How did that happen?"

"He- well you…"

Giannini bit his lip and trailed off. He looked to Lal Mirch for help, but she just shrugged and looked away.

"He offered peace." A new voice sounded from the door way. "You went to see him."

Tsuna jerked his head up in surprise; it was the second time in one day that he hadn't sensed someone approaching. He relaxed, however, as he recognized the warm brown eyes of the new comer.

"Glad to see you're doing alright, Takeshi."

KHRKHRKHRKHR

"So he isn't there anymore?" Shouichi asked as he nursed a cup of coffee. "I was expecting that after the image went out."

Shortly after he got a clear image of the casket, the satellite malfunctioned and he lost the image.

'Yes, sir.' A woman with an afro said over the video link. 'None of my cute pets can pick up the scent either.'

"Keep searching the area for now, Iris, but I want you to return before sun down." Shouichi subtly glanced at the two pink haired Cervello standing behind him. "You're in their territory and I don't want to risk your ring."

'Oh. Don't tell me you're worried.'

"Just return before dark."

Shouichi pinched the bridge of his nose and mentally thanked whoever was listening that no one noticed him sabotaging the satellite. He couldn't afford to let thing fall apart now.

"Irie-sama, should inform Byakuran-sama?"

"Not yet." He sighed. "He'll just pick on me if we don't have definitive proof that the young Vongola did come through. We didn't even get a glimpse of him, so we can't be sure."

"Understood."

_Hopefully that'll buy me a few more days to get some of the others through. _Shouichi got up and left the lab, the Cervello following closely behind. _As long as Sawada was right and his younger counter part puts the pieces together quickly, we may just have a chance of finishing this and preventing the hellish future I doomed this world to._


	4. Hunt for Vongola

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR. If I did Tsuna would be a true super uke and smarter, sorry as much as I love and will write about the lovable idiot, Goku and Naruto have made it so too many main characters are idiots.

Summary: Nono, his parents, and the Arcobaleno are all dead. Trapped in a future that's falling apart, Tsuna must fight with both himself and the dreaded Millefiore famiglia. Sequel to Hacker.

Chapter 4: Hunt for Vongola

"Glad to see you're doing alright, Takeshi."

Was all that could be said before Hayato hurried over to where Takeshi was standing in the door way and slugged him.

"What the hell happened?" Hayato yelled, his face filled with furry at the sight of the other Guardian. "Where were you? Where was I?" His voice was just getting louder, but Takeshi said nothing as the younger Guardian continued to yell. "How could this happen to Juudaime?"

"Hayato! Enough!"

Tsuna gripped his irate Guardians shoulder and pulled him back.

"He's right."

All eyes turned toward the door to see Takeshi kneeling in front of Tsuna, head bowed.

"What are you-?"

"He's right!" Takeshi repeated, his voice cracking slightly. "We knew the risks, but you wouldn't take no for an answer." The unusual frown on his normally cheerful face accented the small scar on his chin. "You told us to trust you, and we did, but he…"

Tsuna stood frozen, trying to process what he was being told. It was one thing to learn that you were destined to die; it was another to know you went to your own death. One thing Tsuna always prided himself in was his intelligence, but to go to his own death…

"Why?" His lips pressed into a thin line as Takeshi flinched at the question. "Why would I do something so stupid?"

Everyone tensed at the harshness in his voice and the soft flicker of dying will flame that appeared on his forehead.

"We've… lost a few people recently." Takeshi stood and brushed off his open black suit jacket, revealing a blue button up shirt that wasn't buttoned up all the way and a loose black tie. "Destroying the rings was supposed take away the reason for war between the families, but it only set the Millefiore on the more vulnerable people. That was when the Vongola extermination spread to our civilian friends, family, and allies. It didn't matter who they were or what they did, no one was safe anymore."

KHRKHRKHRKHR

"How have the local searches gone?" Shouichi and the Cervello entered the main monitoring room. "Have there been any updates on Sasagawa or Miura since the Black Spell team left this morning?"

"No sir."

Shouichi pursed his lips as he thought of what that could mean. The Black Spell was supposed to report in regularly, whether they found anything or not. If Black Spell wasn't radioing in, than they were either slacking off, or they found something and didn't want anyone to know about it yet. Neither was acceptable.

"Pinpoint their location. I want to know what they're up to."

"We tried that already, Irie-sama."

Shouichi's head snapped toward the right and leveled the speaker with an uncharacteristic glare.

"What was that?" He growled in frustration. "What do you mean you already tried?"

"We tried to find them when they missed their last check in." The young tech nervously responded, not used to seeing Shouichi irritated. "Their communication devices and locator bands have been shut off or destroyed."

"Why wasn't I told this earlier?" Shouichi winced and gripped his stomach, but straightened before anyone could ask anything. "I told you to tell me if there was any trouble."

"We received the report earlier, Irie-sama." One of the Cervello spoke up. "We did not think you would want to be disturbed and issued orders in your stead."

"Who gave you permission?" A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face, but the look of surprise on the normally apathetic faces was oddly satisfying. "Set a search for all active rings, even our own."

"Irie-sama?"

"If they haven't reported in, then they're doing something they shouldn't be." Shouichi narrowed his eyes as a large map of Namimori was pulled up on the largest monitor. "I want to know what that is."

"Of course, Irie-sama." The Cervello turned their attention back to the techs. "The Black Spell squad that didn't report in belongs to Ganma, correct?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Then I'll want to speak with him as well." Shouichi sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "He needs to learn how to control his dogs."

_If we don't find them soon, who knows what might happen to those girls._ Shouichi bit his bottom lip as he thought about the promise he made to the Sawada Tsunayoshi of this time. _Their due to be sent through soon, and if anything happens to them he'll never forgive me. _He glanced at the impassive Cervello and held in a sigh. _If anything happens to them, I'll never forgive myself. No amount of good intentions will ever make up for it._

*Beep… beep… beep…*

Shouichi shook himself out of his musings and turned his attention back to the present.

"We found three active rings, Irie-sama." One tech spoke up. "Two of which belong to us."

"And the third?"

"Unknown. The signal indicates an A-level flame output."

"A-level?" One of the Cervello questioned. "The only A-level flame users working for the Vongola are the Varia officers and the Guardians."

"And the most recent reports show all of the Varia officers in Italy." Shouichi's eyes narrowed as he stared at the three small dots indicated on the map. "Finding a Guardian now… but which one?"

KHRKHRKHR

"Civilians?" Tsuna's eyes widened and his face paled. "What about Mom, Kyoko, and Haru?"

"Lambo and I-Pin went to retrieve Haru and Kyoko, it's been decided they'll be safer here." Takeshi reported his eyes harder than Tsuna had ever seen from his usually carefree Guardian. "Your mother… She was in Italy with you father when…"

"When what?" Tsuna demanded. "What happened?"

"We lost contact with them." Lal answered instead. "We lost contact with headquarters. That includes your parents, Nono, Varia, and the rest of the CEDEF."

"Why was she even there?"

"More than likely, Iemitsu thought she'd be safer at a Vongola strong hold." Reborn took a careful sip from his espresso as the attention shifted to him. "The Vongola bases are notoriously strong and have a reputation for being impenetrable. It is likely that Iemitsu didn't believe anyone one would be capable of harming those within the wall of the strongest base of all, Vongola HQ."

"Well it's not the first time he's been wrong about something now is it!" A spark of resentment that had become muffled in the last few days suddenly rekindled. "That bastard has a long history of making mistakes when it comes to his family."

"Tsuna." Reborn growled sharply, his grip tightening on the coffee cup. "Be more sensitive to those around you."

Tsuna was confused, but soon sensed negative feelings pouring off of Takeshi. The guilt ridden look on his face made Tsuna's heart clench.

"Takeshi…"

"Yamamoto's father was one we were unable to save."

Tsuna felt his insides turn to ice. He barely acknowledge the conversation going on around him as he fell into thought.

"Yakyubaka…" Hayato's face was considerably softer than before. "Sorry about the punch."

"Ma ma ~" Takeshi tried to give his usual grin but it didn't reach his eyes. "That's just Gokudera-kun after all."

Yamamoto Tsuyoshi had been the closest thing Tsuna saw as a father figure since he didn't acknowledge his own. Nana being missing hurt, but there was still hope that she was alive somewhere, but with Takeshi's father…

"After my old man died you were willing to try anything." Takeshi's voice forced Tsuna from his thoughts. "You said you wouldn't let anyone else die because you were being selfish, though none of us knew what you meant."

_Selfish. _Destroying the Vongola Rings and keeping the Vongola alive didn't seem that selfish. _The Vongola is what keeps a certain amount of morals in the mafia and destroying the rings would keep someone from getting a hold of an incredibly destructive power. _Tsuna's eyes narrowed in consideration. _But what if there was something else…_

*Beep… beep… beep…*

Once again, Tsuna was knocked from his musings, but this time it was caused by Giannini's computer giving off a shrill alarm.

"Not good. Lambo-san's ring has been activated." Giannini hands poured over the keys, his face stressed as beads of sweat trailed down his round face. "Lambo-san should be with Haru-san and Kyoko-san by now… he would never activate his ring unless it was an emergency!"

"Ring?" Hayato questioned as he looked down at the chained ring on his hand. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Its how we fight in this time." Takeshi said quickly as he went to stand behind Giannini. "Using Rings as a medium, we can call forth our dying will flames and harness them like weapons, much like the Vongola bloodline."

"But can't Lambo do that already?" Tsuna snatched the laptop from Giannini and took over the search, ignoring his protests. "Why would he need something to pull it out?"

"That… that's true…" Takeshi shook his head and gave a weak grin as Tsuna ignored the whining Giannini. "But the Rings allow us to do more than just call our flames. They let use box weapons and coat items with flames. They also increase the flame output for those who can summon their flames without Rings."

"Alright, so it could be useful even for someone like me." Tsuna nodded and gave a triumphant grin as a red dot appeared on the map. "You'll have to explain more about the "box weapons" later. Right now we have to help Lambo. According to this, there are two other energy sources in close proximity to him; they're similar to the one Lambo's giving off."

"Oi, what do you mean we?" Lal snorted. "You have no clue how to fight in this time."

"I know how to well enough to beat you."

"I was-"

"Holding back, I know." Tsuna rubbed the bridged of his nose; he was never going to escape this migraine. "But this time I'll have two advantages."

"Two?"

"One." He held up his index finger. "I don't need a Ring to activate my flames." Before Lal could argue he held up his second finger. "And two, this time I have the element of surprise."

"But you-"

"Lal, it'll be better if he goes." Reborn piped up. "He isn't one you can argue or threaten into submission. He'll just do what he wants anyway."

Lal looked like she wanted to argue, but soon sighed in defeat.

"The current Juudaime is exactly the same." Her eyes narrowed in irritation as her mouth twisted into a scowl. "Never listening to anyone else, just following his own gut. Well that gut got him killed."

"Juudaime won't die as long as I'm by his side." Hayato stepped forward, his face determined.

"So Hayato, Takeshi, and I will get the girls and Lambo. I want the rest of you to stay here."

"Like hell." Lal raged. "I'm coming to make sure you don't get you weak asses killed."

"Not if you don't want to pass out and become a burden." Tsuna's eyes narrowed at Lal's shocked look. "You hid it well, but the non-tri-ni-set policy still affects you, even as an incomplete Arcobaleno."

Lal only glared as Tsuna and his two Guardians ran out of the room.

"Damn brat." She growled. "Not even officially the boss and he still thinks he can order me around."

"Tsuna is fairly impressive." Reborn admitted as he went back to nursing his espresso. "Even I was surprised at his level of charisma, and that was after I learned he'd been involved with the mafia for years before the decision was made to make his Decimo."

"That right… you don't know."

"Don't know what, Lal?"

Lal got stiff and looked away nervously.

_It would be fun to get back at that brat. _She thought evilly. _But the Sawada of this time was… and if I remember correctly, he was like that since the first time I met him ten years ago._ A sweat drop formed on the back of her head. _He may be cute looking, but that brat can be more evil than Reborn._

"Nothing, Reborn. Nothing at all."

KHRKHRKHR

"How long before you have visual." Shouichi asked a tech. "The sooner we identify the Guardian, the better prepared we'll be."

"I understand, sir, but the satellite is still malfunctioning."

_Good._ Shouichi held in a sigh of relief. _Two on one aren't bad odds for a Guardian. The longer we're delayed here, the longer it'll take for action to be decided._

"We could send Iris and her group." One of the Cervello suggested. "She's not far from the area."

"No, it would be too risky right now." Shouichi replied smoothly. "We may have one signal, but there's no telling how many are present or what our opponents battle strength is. We may send our forces to slaughter if we're not careful." He forced his eyes not to waver as he locked gazes with the Cervello. "The Vongola are many things, but weak is not one of them. Underestimating ones opponent is a sure path to defeat."

"Understood, Irie-sama."

Shouichi internally sighed as the Cervello backed down; he couldn't let more members of the Millefiore join the fight. Even if his statement turns out to be true and the Vongola Ring holder does have more armed comrades, sending someone like Iris would be a disaster.

"I want everyone to focus on getting the satellite back on line and getting a visual of the battle area, for now. Our objective was not to engage in Guardian's without Vongola Rings."

Shouichi surveyed the scene with detached interest as people scrambled to fulfill his orders.

_Now we see if the younger generation can survive the hunt for Vongola._


	5. Gathering of the Young

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR. If I did Tsuna would be a true super uke and smarter, sorry as much as I love and will write about the lovable idiot, Goku and Naruto have made it so too many main characters are idiots.

Summary: Nono, his parents, and the Arcobaleno are all dead. Trapped in a future that's falling apart, Tsuna must fight with both himself and the dreaded Millefiore famiglia. Sequel to Hacker.

Chapter 5: Gathering of the Young

*30 Minutes Before the Alarm*

"C'mon, we have to hurry." Lambo growled impatiently as Haru packed a bag. "Just grab some clothes and be done with it."

"A girl has to look her best, Lambo-chan!" Haru replied stubbornly as she finished packing her third suit case. "I have to do my best to look the part of a mafia widow."

_Widow? _Lambo sweat dropped as Haru rambled on about how mafia women must keep up appearances. _She never did accept that fact the Tsuna-nii fell in love with-_

"All done!"

Lambo jumped slightly as Haru through three bags at him, keeping only one for herself.

"Yare yare."

He didn't argue, just rushed her outside to where I-Pin and Kyoko were waiting patiently. They were behind schedule and Lambo had to get the girls back to the base before sundown or else run the risk of running into the Gola Mosca night patrol.

As they were approaching the old, rundown abandon factory, Lambo felt something was off. I-Pin clearly felt it as well because she started ordering Haru and Kyoko to get out of sight.

"Who is it?" I-Pin asked as they crouched down behind some old boxes. "They may not be much of a threat."

"Even so we can't be seen." Lambo glance back at the two girls he'd come to see as older sisters. "We may be able to take a handful of opponents on our own normally, but with Haru-nee and Kyoko-nee here…"

"Right."

A few seconds later their suspicions were confirmed as two figures wearing Black Spell uniforms dropped in from the sky. Storm flames lighting up their feet and keeping them in the air.

_Come on, leave!_ Lambo gulped and felt a bead of sweat run down his neck. _Just leave…_

Lambo held in a sigh of relief when the two members of Black Spell started to take off again after lingering only for a few minutes. Lambo was so focused on their retreating figures, that he didn't notice Haru's panicked expression.

"ACHOO!"

Lambo froze and his green eyes widened as he stared at the terrified look on Haru's face. He snapped out of his shock just in time to grab Haru, while I-Pin grabbed Kyoko, and get out of the way of the Black Spell members Storm Scythe.

"Look at this, Tazaru-aniki." The one with long pink hair sneered. "We found those Vongola girls and a couple of rats."

"I see, Nosaru." The dark skinned one with a blonde gouty replied snidely. "Thought you could hide from us did you?"

Lambo winced, but quickly covered it up with a grin.

"A rat am I?" Lambo pulled out his horns from his pocket. "Funny, Goku-nii always called me Ahoshi."

"Ahoshi? Horns?" Tazaru frowned before his eyes widened with realization. "Could you be-"

"Born into the Bovino famiglia, I was later recognized by the up and coming Vongola Decimo." Lambo set the horns on his head and motioned for I-Pin to take the girls and run. "I am Lambo, Vongola's Guardian of Thunder."

"Oh~ Looks like our lucky day, Tazaru-aniki." The flames on Nosaru's Storm Scythe flared up. "Ganma-aniki will be so jealous that we caught one of the Guardians."

"Yare yare." Lambo sighed, trying to keep their attention on him as I-Pin slowly inched the girls away. "You really shouldn't underestimate someone who was made a Guardian at just five-years-old."

"Maybe so, but…" Tazaru suddenly flew down and swung his Storm Scythe at the girls. "Don't think you can distract me."

"Thunder set!" Lambo called at the same time he activated his ring. "Elettrico Cornata!"

Lambo used the hard factor of the Thunder flames in order to turn his entire body into a shield and catch the Storm Scythe. He winced slightly as the degenerative flames stung through the electric barrier, but did little else.

"Damn brat!"

"Like I said, don't underestimate one of Tsuna-nii's Guardians!"

KHRKHRKHR

*Present*

Tsuna prepared to slip on his gloves as they entered the elevator, only to stop as he realize the Vongola ring made it uncomfortable. Before he was in too much of a hurry to notice, but now that he could stop and think about it, the pressure really was irritating. So Tsuna slipped off the ring and put the glove back on.

"You might want to wear the ring above the glove." Takeshi suggested from his left. "The Vongola Rings are among the strongest when activated, and it could increase your flame output if you manage to light it."

"How do I do that?"

"You have to focus your conviction into the ring. The stronger your resolve, the stronger the flame." Takeshi turned to Hayato. "You should try as well… why did you bring that suit case?"

"Che!" He scoffed and turned his head away. "Isn't it obvious, Yakyubaka! Anything from the future me has to be useful."

"So what's in it?" Tsuna sweat dropped as Hayato looked embarrassed to answer. "You haven't opened it yet, have you?"

"I'll do it now!" Hayato unlatched the brief case before Tsuna could protest, spilling the contents on the floor of the elevator. "Oops."

Tsuna's sweat drop got bigger as Hayato scrambled to pick up the scattered papers and a small box.

"Gokudera-kun!" Hayato jumped when Takeshi yelled. "That's a box! A box weapon!"

"Seriously."

Hayato looked at the small, scratched up box with doubt but had no time to question further as the elevator doors slid open. Hayato just swept the papers back into the brief case and pocketed the box so they could hurry to the exit.

"Takeshi, how good is your cell phone?"

"Good enough for you to do your thing." Takeshi tossed his cell phone to Tsuna without breaking pace. "Checking to see if they drifted from the area they were in earlier?"

"Yeah."

"Heh. Things are always easier with you around."

Tsuna quickly linked up with the base mainframe, pausing only ask Takeshi about passwords so he didn't have to force his way past them.

"They haven't moved much. The fight seems to be localized in factory area, the one they shut down recently."

"The factory was reopened for a short time as a large storage area, but was soon shut down again." Takeshi explained. "Now all that's left is a bunch of abandoned buildings with a little bit of clutter here and there. It'll be the perfect place to have an unrestrained fight."

They stopped in front a scanner before the hatch opened, allowing them access to the outside world.

"It should only take us a few minutes to get there by foot, but I can cover the distance in a matter of seconds by air."

"Tsuna…"

"Just trust me, okay."

Takeshi froze as the familiar worlds spilled out of Tsuna's mouth.

"_Just trust me, okay."_

Those haunting words had plagued him for the last several weeks, being the last thing he'd ever heard from the Tsuna of his time. Before Takeshi could protest, however, Tsuna took to the sky, leaving nothing but a fading trail of flames in his wake.

"Let's hurry!"

Takeshi would always trust Tsuna and his hyper intuition, but the death of the older Tsuna would forever weigh on his mind. He couldn't bear to be too late to save his beloved boss again. Not after finally getting him back.

In the air Tsuna winced as he thought of the look on Takeshi's face just before he took off. Apparently he would have to pick his worlds more carefully if he didn't want to send his future Guardian into another panic.

Tsuna shook his head and focused on the direction he was flying. He could already see green sparks and a red glow amongst the many buildings in the abandoned factory.

"Looks like I came to the right place."

Tsuna lowered his altitude so he wouldn't be spotted as he got closer to the combat area. In this situation it was better to have the element of surprise on his side, even if he had to postpone his first attack for a few seconds in order to get it.

KHRKHRKHR

Lambo jumped into the air in order to intercept Nosaru as he tried to chase after the retreating girls.

"Don't even think about it!"

Lambo knew he lucked out as he felt the flames of his second opponent. Ring users they may be, but their skills were average at best and not too much of a problem for him to deal with alone. If it had only been one, he'd have finished this already, but the combination of being distracted by the girls and having to fend off attacks from two sides did make things slightly more difficult. But only slightly.

Lambo grinned as the two storm users backed off slightly, allowing him to use his own body as a shield to keep either from going after the girls.

"This brats like a damn lightning rod!" Nosaru growled in frustration, not really believing that they were losing to someone younger than him. "Why is this so hard?"

"He was made one of Vongola Decimo's Guardian's for a reason, even if he was only a child at the time of his selection." Tazaru replied seriously. "Kid or not, he's not an opponent you can take lightly."

"Yare yare." Lambo sighed and increased his flame output. "Why am I always the one people are underestimating?"

"Let's see what you can do. Vongola Guardian!"

*Poof*

Nosaru and Tazaru stared at the pink smoke, dumbfounded, as it surrounded Lambo. They gaped openly when the smoke cleared to reveal five-year-old Lambo.

"Gupya?"

*Poof… poof… poof…*

They looked passed Lambo only to see a large concentration of the same pink smoke a little over one hundred yards away.

"WTF!"

Shaking themselves out of their stupor, Nosaru and Tazaru tried to make sense of the situation.

"Who are you?" Lambo demanded from his place on the ground. He glared up at the two floating figures. "Lambo-san demands you tell him!"

"Lambo… -san?"

Tazaru blinked in surprise as he noticed a glint of silver coming off of the Lambo's wrist, and felt a light bulb slowly flicker to life in his head. Before he could act, however, a flaming fist sent him flying into a neighboring building.

"Tsuna-kun/Tsuna-san/Tsuna-nii!

Young Haru, I-Pin, and Kyoko rushed toward the scene, not quite understanding what was going on.

"I need you four to get out of here. It isn't safe."

"But what-"

"Just listen to Juudaime, Onna!"

Tsuna didn't even blink as Takeshi and Hayato arrived, gasping for air and leaning on their knees. Strong and athletic they may be, but even they had trouble keeping up with an airborne Tsuna.

"I'll leave this one to you." He said to his two Guardians as he drifted to the man sized hole in the building. "I'll make sure the other one won't be following."

"Sure thing, Tsuna." Takeshi gave a small grin as he placed himself in between everyone and the seething Nosaru. "I am Yamamoto Takeshi, Vongola's Guardian of Rain."

"Oh~ another Guardian is it." He gave a shark like grin as his flames flared up. "Today must be my lucky day."

"I wouldn't count on it." Takeshi pulled out a pair boxes and lit a blue flame from his ring. "Gokudera-kun, I'm going to demonstrate how the ring and box system works. Once you've grasped the concept, fighting in this time should be fairly easy for you."

"Right." Hayato grudgingly backed up a few paces. If he was going to keep up with the new weapons, it would be best to see them first hand in a real combat situation. "Just don't think I'll sit out of every fight."

Hayato held in a growl when Takeshi let out a small chuckle.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He tossed the two boxes in the air. "Just remember the most important thing about rings is that you must concentrate on your resolve to light the flames. The stronger your resolve, the stronger the flame." He held out his hand to catch the boxes. "If your resolve is weak you-"

*Poof*

Whatever else Takeshi was planning on saying was cut off as he too was disappeared into a ploom of pink smoke. Leaving both Nosaru and Hayato gaping as the boxes hit the ground, and in Takeshi's place stood a younger version holding a baseball bat.

"Hm?"

"Oh shit!"

As the chaos ensued, no one noticed Kyoko slip into the building Tsuna had disappeared into.

(A.N. Sorry for the delay, but my grandmother is sick and I couldn't update. I won't be able to update as often for a while, but I'll still try to get a chapter or two in every week. The story will remain on track and I won't leave you hanging, I'm just busy. Tell me what you think of the story, ja ne.)


	6. Testing the Waters

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR. If I did Tsuna would be a true super uke and smarter, sorry as much as I love and will write about the lovable idiot, Goku and Naruto have made it so too many main characters are idiots.

Summary: Nono, his parents, and the Arcobaleno are all dead. Trapped in a future that's falling apart, Tsuna must fight with both himself and the dreaded Millefiore famiglia. Sequel to Hacker.

Chapter 6: Testing the Waters

Dust filled the air as Tazaru's large form slammed into the warehouse floor, the weak lights dangling from the ceiling flickering as they swung side to side from the force of his impact.

"Damn brat."

Tazaru grumbled as he shook his head to get rid of the fuzziness that accompanied his trip through the wall. Tazaru forced his aching body to his feet, taking in the damaged caused by his involuntary flight. A quick once over told him nothing was broken, his injuries relatively minor, but he'd be hurting for days. That finished, now he could try and find out who the hell…

"You know there's a saying about picking on people your own size." Tazaru jerked his head up and spotted Tsuna gently hovering in the air, suspended by his flames. "I don't think that's possible in this situation though."

Tazaru growled as he saw the floating boy smirk in his direction. While the glowing orange eyes and obvious sky flames were unnerving, he couldn't help but be pissed off as Tsuna taunted him.

"Damn brat!"

Tazaru lit his flames and took off into the air, attempting to catch Tsuna off guard, only to be thrown off balance as Tsuna propelled himself faster and more efficiently than Tazaru had ever seen another manipulate flames. Tazaru had to swallow the lump in his throat as a nervous anticipation clawed at his insides. Not only was Tsuna a sky flame user, but it was also clear that he was well adapted to using those flames in combat situations. Even worse, Tsuna's eyes showed a cool focus that spread a chill through Tazaru's body and made it difficult for him to concentrate.

'_Damn it all to hell.'_ Tazaru squared his jaw as he truly took in Tsuna's appearance. _'He's tiny… and girly looking, so why the hell am I sweating so much!?'_

Tsuna was far from physically intimidating, but something about his presence set off warning bells in Tazaru's mind. Tazaru could tell this… child was dangerous. No matter what Tsuna looked like, Tazaru knew the fight would be far from easy.

"Are you having trouble, Old Man?" Tazaru gritted his teeth as he saw Tsuna's lips quirk into a satisfied smile. "I was hoping you would provide me with a bit of a challenge."

'_This kid…'_ Tazaru increased the density of his flames. _'He isn't normal.'_

Tazaru could only hope he was wrong as he prepared to face a child who's eyes glowed with fire but were as cold as ice.

KHRKHRKHRKHR

"Oh shit!"

Hayato stared at the _much younger _Yamamoto Takashi with an acute horror that he may have found humorous if not for the pink haired man holding a scythe. Takashi didn't know how he was suddenly transported to the factory district of Namimori, but that could wait until the obvious danger was resolved.

"Hayato… what's going on?"

Hayato jerked as if he'd been stuck, before shaking his head and beginning to speak.

"Your sword! Do you have your sword!?" The words were panicked, not angry, something that made Takashi bite his lower lip slightly. "Answer me!"

"No." Takashi shifted his stance with his baseball bat as he narrowed his eyes at the confused looking pinkette. He may not know what was going on, but Takashi knew Hayato wouldn't be asking about his sword (and technically asking Takashi to join the fight) if this was just another of his random fights. Whatever was going on, it was serious. "I'll just have to use this for now."

"Oi!" Nosaru shouted as he flared up the flames on his scythe. "I don't know what just happened, but don't take me lightly you bastard Vongola."

Takashi's eyes widened as Nosaru swung his scythe in a downward arch, sending a red glowing mass of flames toward him and his friends. He didn't understand what exactly it was, but he knew it was dangerous.

"Get down!"

'_No!' _Takashi dropped his bat as he race towards the panicked cries of his non-combative companions. _'Please… let me make it in time!'_

Takashi could feel the burn as the red flames passed over head and impacted the ground only inches from body. The air being sucked out of his lungs was the last thing Takashi was aware of as darkness claimed him.

KHRKHRKHRKHR

Tsuna propelled himself upward, gracefully dodging his larger opponent as he hurtled threw the air, with little regard for Tsuna's superior speed.

"Is that all you can do?" Tsuna knew he was dancing on a fine line by taunting his adversary, but also knew that an angry opponent was more likely to make mistakes. "Maybe I should have left you to Lambo, you hardly seem the challenge."

Tsuna smirked as his opponent growled and made a wide arch with his scythe, far too slow and clumsy to even hope of hitting him. As Tsuna danced around the air, avoiding clumsy attack after clumsy attack, he took in how Tazaru utilized his flames and obvious physical power and was not impressed. While the man was at least twice as big as Tsuna and outweighed him by quite a bit, he didn't know how to properly take advantage of the size difference and instead give Tsuna more room to work with by not closing the distance between them. While Tazaru's size wouldn't have given him too much of an advantage, as Tsuna was more than used to fighting people much bigger than himself, it would have at least earned him a bit of respect.

The different colored flames were still a new concept to Tsuna and he needed to understand how this new enemy utilized these weapons. The only data Tsuna actually had on someone other than a Vongola using flames were Primo's guardians and the Vendici, neither of which would help him in this future world.

"Damn it! Hold still!"

"You think I'll let you hit me?" Tsuna could see fear in the older man's eyes and started to wonder if his lack of efficiency had less to do with a lack of actual skill and more to do with panic induced by the situation. "What kind of idiot are you?"

"Damn brat! Respect your elders!"

As it was, Tsuna was not impressed that future grunts were no more intelligent than the ones of the past. He sighed and gathered the flames in his right hand, seeing no reason to prolong the fight any further, there was no more useful data to be gathered. Tsuna couldn't help but falter, however, as he heard something that made his blood turn cold.

"Tsuna-kun?"

KHRKHRKHRKHR

Hayato coughed as the dust began to settle. He was lucky to escape major injury, but he couldn't help but grimace as he looked down. In the confusion he only managed to cover I-pin.

"Yakyubaka-" Hayato let out a breath as he saw Takashi's prone form covering two smaller ones. "This guy… He didn't even know what was going on and was still able to cover Ahoshi and the Onna."

"Oh~ is the grey haired brat still awake?"

Hayato scowled as he stumbled to his feet. Nosaru was really starting to piss him off.

"Like you have any room to talk, Pinky."

"Bastard!"

Nosaru growled and raised his scythe again, causing Hayato, who now knew the affects of the flames, to turn and run in the opposite direction. He didn't make it far before Nosaru unleashed another attack.

"Damn it!" Hayato barely managed to avoid a direct hit as he dived and smashed into the unforgiving earth. "Now what?" Out of the corner of his eye, Hayato noticed a small box covered in scratches, just within his reach. _That's the…_

"It's over." Nosaru appeared above Hayato's prone form, scythe raised and prepared to strike. "Time to die!"

Hayato didn't think, he just grabbed the box and shoved his Vongola ring into the small hole. He was unprepared for the glowing red light that emitted from the box, surrounding his arm and forming into a skull shaped barrel. He couldn't help but stare in shock, taking in his new… appendage, but quickly shook it off as the words _'Feed Me Bullets,'_ formed over the barrel.

"Just disappear already!" Hayato shoved a stick of dynamite into the mouth facing him and aimed his new weapon at the shocked pinkette, bracing himself as a red blast of flames shot out of the second skull. "Take a look at my Flame Arrow!"

KHRKHRKHRKHR

"Tsuna-kun?" Tsuna could only stare in horror as he took in the confused face of a young Sasagawa Kyoko. "What's going on?"

Tsuna's mouth pressed into a firm line as he lowered himself in front of Kyoko, momentarily forgetting about his opponent as he tried to figure out what just happened and how it was the Kyoko of his time ended up in the future.

"What's this?" Tsuna's head jerked up and saw Tazaru wearing a shark like grin. "Looks like an easier target decided to show itself."

A flash of red was the only warning Tsuna got as he grabbed Kyoko and dived away from the degenerating storm flames.

_Enough playing._ Tsuna decided as he set down Kyoko, not seeing a separate flame light on his ring, and launched himself back into the air. Tazaru didn't even notice as Tsuna came up behind grabbed Tazaru's scythe and froze it before he could react. _I feel light._

"What!? But that's-"

"Zero Point Breakthrough – First Edition."

Tsuna barely even registered the growing dread on his opponents face as Tsuna gather higher density flames into his right fist. Tsuna felt an overwhelming calmness wash over him and whatever urgency there was to kill Tazaru vanished. The sounds of Tazaru's breaking nose and the site of soaring body filtered through his numbed perception.

'_What is this feeling?'_

KHRKHRKHRKHR

"Not bad for a couple of brats I suppose." Lal Mirch snorted as she spotted Tsuna and his group walking back into the base on the monitor, none sporting any injuries more extensive than a couple of scrapes and bruises. "Looks like they can hold their own against some grunts anyway."

"You shouldn't underestimate them." Reborn warned from his spot on the sofa. "They have an annoying habit of destroying all expectations."

"So I've heard."

"How well do you know the Tsuna of this time?"

"Not that well." Lal admitted as she took a seat across from her fellow arcobaleno. "In ten years I've only met him a handful of times and those meeting were brief, but still…" She paused as if in deep thought. "But still, after the first time I couldn't help but want to follow him. Even now, the younger one makes me feel the same."

"Tsuna does have that quality, doesn't he?" Reborn smirked as he thought of his student, before he frowned in thought. "Still, his secrets worry me."

"He… doesn't hold out for long." Lal winced at the sharp look Reborn threw her way. She had no intentions of telling Reborn what those secrets were, but maybe she could take some of the pressure off of Tsuna so he didn't have to keep dancing around Reborn's suspicions. "It's nothing to dangerous, but it's better if he says it."

"When?" Lal tried not to shrink under Reborn's intense gaze and struggled to meet his large black eyes. Reborn only frown as he repeated his question. "When?"

"Our Tsuna had a private meeting with Nono in the aftermath of the ring conflict. What was revealed then was only told to some of the highest ranking members of the famiglia and is still a jealously guarded secret of the Vongola famiglia."

"So he lied."

(A.N. Hey guys, I'm sorry it took so long. I had planned on having this chapter up months ago, but my computer had some problems and all of my work was deleted. I had to rewrite this entire chapter and I know it's short, but I hope this will help me transition back into the story. My Nana passed away and things have been pretty hectic, so I'll probably update once a week, instead of every day like I did before, but I will be updating as often as I can. Thank you all again for continuing to read and review, ja ne.)


	7. Training or Torture, What the Difference

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR. If I did Tsuna would be a true super uke and smarter, sorry as much as I love and will write about the lovable idiot, Goku and Naruto have made it so too many main characters are idiots.

Summary: Nono, his parents, and the Arcobaleno are all dead. Trapped in a future that's falling apart, Tsuna must fight with both himself and the dreaded Millefiore famiglia. Sequel to Hacker.

Chapter 7: Training or Torture, What's the Difference Anyway?

Tsuna had been very irritated when he found out Kyoko had put herself in danger, just so she could visit her house in the future. He'd known his friend would have trouble with being in such a dangerous time, especially with her brother still missing, but he'd hoped she'd have more sense than to run off when she knew people were looking for her. Finding out the Bianchi, Fuuta, Tetsuya, and Kyoya were all alive and well did little to quell his disappointment as he stood before the cowering girl.

"Kyoko…"

Kyoko only flinched and Tsuna had to rub the bridge of his nose in an attempt to fight of the headache that threatened his ability to think straight. He didn't want to lecture someone who had been a good friend since he was a small child, but this situation was becoming too much, especially knowing that the Millefiore was more than willing to kill civilians associated with him or his guardians. It may seem harsh, but he needed to get Kyoko to understand that she couldn't stay ignorant to the dangers around them.

"I-I'm sorry, Tsuna-kun." Kyoko bowed her head and squeezed her eyes shut. "I didn't know I would cause so much trouble. I-"

"Enough!" Tsuna tried to ignore how everyone except Reborn, Kyoya, and Lal flinched back at his tone. "You did know it would be dangerous, but you ran off any way. Putting not only yourself, but all of us and _Hana_-" He knew it was a bit cruel but her slowly building tears were oddly satisfying, as they meant the implications of what she had done were finally settling in. "In danger because you were worried for the safety of one person, whom is perfectly capable of taking care of himself."

He wasn't yelling, his voice wasn't even raised. Tsuna kept his tone even and low on purpose. He wasn't doing this to scare her, so much as to make her realize why he was so disappointed in her.

"Hey Tsuna." Takeshi was the only one brave enough (of the people who didn't agree with what he was doing) to try and stand up for the trembling girl. "Maybe you should cut her some slack, she was just-"

"Just worried about, Nii-san and wanted to make sure he was safe." Takeshi took a careful step back as Tsuna turned his blank gaze on him. "She isn't the only one worried about her big brother and most certainly not the only one worried why we can't get into contact with our missing family members." Takeshi's normally cheerful face became stricken as the double meaning behind Tsuna's words was not lost on him. "We're all confused, we're all worried, and we're all scared, but she's the only one who risked leaving the base when we're still not sure about the enemy and their true objective. We don't even know what they would do to someone like Kyoko if they got their hands on her."

"Do to me?"

"What you didn't think would happen if one of the enemies caught up to you? That they would just let you go because you don't know any useful information? That they would just lock you in a room until we managed to save you? This isn't some fairy tale where getting captured is just a temporary setback while you wait to be rescued, this is dangerous. They could hold you hostage and try to draw the rest of us out in exchange for your safety. They could kill you, simply to get a reaction out of us." Kyoko was becoming increasingly pale as the possibilities of what the Millefiore could do to her were becoming clear. "They could even do things much worse than simply killing you, after all, you are a beautiful girl and the Millefiore has made it clear they want us to hurt."

As someone who was normally very taciturn, it was a marvel to many present that Tsuna was taking so much time to actually lecture one of his closest friends and spell out the real dangers of being caught in the cross fire, but at the same time it worried them. Most knew what Tsuna was saying was true and a very real possibility should any of them be captured by the Millefiore, but the way Tsuna was talking… it meant that he wasn't just angry, but scared. The last time any of them (Takeshi and Kyoya) had seen Tsuna in such a state was when they first met Mukuro so many years ago. When he was faced with the real possibility of one of his friends dying and he couldn't do anything about it.

It was clear that Tsuna was willing to do anything to keep his friends safe, even if it meant instilling the fear of god into Kyoko.

"Tsuna-kun…" Kyoko stopped trying to hold back and let the tears fall freely. "I'm so-sorry. I won't ever do it again!"

Bianchi, Haru, I-Pin, Lambo, and Fuuta all stepped forward to comfort the distraught girl, but none of them could truly fault Tsuna for what he had said.

"I don't like doing this, Kyoko." Tsuna's bangs covered his eyes, but the shaking in his clenched fists showed just how much the situation had affected him. "But I will do what I have to in order to protect you and everyone else. Even if that means you come out of this thinking I'm an asshole or even hating me.

KHRKHRKHRKHR

Just hours after Tsuna's emotional speech, all combat oriented members of Tsuna's mixed group made their way into one of the many training facilities within the base. Everyone was still on edge, but Reborn was determined to get them ready for the upcoming fights.

"We'll all be training separately from now on. For example, I'll be in charge of Takeshi." Reborn kept his face neutral as he noticed the relief become visible on Tsuna's face. "I would train Tsuna, but I believe Hibari and Lal will have more success as they've had experience with the future Tsuna. As for Gokudera, he'll be trained by…"

"Me." The future Bianchi purred as she stepped into the training arena. "As we're siblings, it's no surprise that we share a ring attribute."

"Bianchi!"

Reborn smirked as Hayato blanched and collapsed, holding his stomach in response to the phantom pain awoken by his sisters presence. Reborn always found it amusing that a woman as beautiful as Bianchi could instill such a nauseating feeling into a man (or boy in this case), but he also knew the response was justifiable.

"I thought I told you to wear the goggles, Bianchi."

"But Reborn." Bianchi place a hand on his small cheek and offered Reborn a devilish smile. "A woman should never have to hide her lovely face."

"Perhaps, but your traumatized brother need training, not a hospital visit."

Hayato only groaned in response as he was unable to pick himself of the ground, lest he truly lose the contents in his stomach. Reborn could only give a slight shake of his head at the pitiful display as Tsuna knelt down to pat his guardian on the back.

*Sigh "Alright then." Bianchi pulled out a pair of goggles and placed them over her eyes, obscuring her face from vision enough that Hayato was slowly starting to recover. "I'll make sure he's ready."

"Oi!" Hayato growled as he stumbled to his feet. "Why am I stuck with you?"

"As I said, we have the same flame attribute." Bianchi held up her hand and showed the red flame drifting off of her ring. "And I have some information about father you might be interested in." She smirked as Hayato's eyes widened. "Do well in your training and you can have it as a reward."

"Tsk."

Reborn just smirked as brother and sister made their way out of the training room.

"As I said, Takeshi will be training with me, and Hibari and Lal are in charge of making sure Tsuna is ready." Reborn fixed his gaze on Tsuna for a few moments, not surprised when the boy managed to hold it without flinching. "The two of us will need to talk, but that can wait until after we've resolved this… mess."

With that Reborn took Takeshi and led him to the lower levels and more remote sections of Kyoya's part of the compound. The setting there would be more appropriate for training a swordsman.

KHRKHRKHRKHR

Tsuna's body ached in protest as he threw himself onto the oddly comfortable bottom twin bed in the room he and Hayato had been assigned. The bottom was Hayato's, but at this point Tsuna didn't care (and he doubted Hayato would care either, in fact, he'd probably be ecstatic to find Tsuna in his bed) as his muscles protested at the thought of having to climb the small ladder onto his bunk.

Neither Lal nor Kyoya had pulled any punches in their training. Not that he'd expected them to, but it had be quite some time since Tsuna had such a work out, even when sparing with Kyoya. The introduction of Kyoya's flames and the box weapon, combined with Kyoya now having ten more years of fighting experience, meant that Tsuna was once again grossly outmatched by the head of the DC, something that hadn't been true in his time for over a year. He could tell that his weakness had been frustrating for Kyoya as well; as he was used Tsuna being able to take all of his attacks and return them two fold.

Tsuna took his left hand and slowly traced the curves of the Vongola Ring on his right. Even though he'd spent a majority of the training time getting beat up, it hadn't all been for nothing.

*Flashback*

Tsuna stumbled, his sky flame only providing the smallest bit of illumination in the pitch blackness of the inside of the Cloud Hedgehog. He was completely sealed inside and all attempts to break out had resulted in little more than a small crack on the hard shell.

"Damn it all!" Tsuna punched the ground in frustration as his breathing became more and more labored. "I can't keep this up much longer."

Tsuna extinguished his flames, knowing they would only burn up what precious oxygen he had left, and tried to think of another way to break out of the Hedgehog. He knew it wasn't Kyoya's intention to kill him, but he also knew Kyoya would only accept two outcomes from this training, either Tsuna freed himself or he died. There could be no half measures in this unforgiving future, because if Tsuna wasn't strong enough, they would all die. Tsuna had to prove he could handle an all out fight against an opponent who knew both his strengths and weaknesses.

_Flame enhanced darts, blasting, and Zero Point Breakthrough doesn't work. Concentrating all of my flames into a single point only created a crack, but it's still more than nothing. _Tsuna concentrated on his flames, but kept them from igniting. He needed to assess what he was capable at this point. _Stamina wise I could do three more concentrated attacks, air wise I could only risk two. I could try to concentrate everything I have left into one blast, but that may only leave me with a large crack, no energy, and little to no air left to do anything else_

Tsuna was acutely aware of white spots beginning to make themselves known in the black space in front of him. His air was running out even faster than he thought it would. He'd pass out soon if he couldn't-

"Arg!" Tsuna gripped his head a blinding white light exploded all around him, causing his pupils to constrict so quickly his stomach lurched in response. "What the hell!"

As Tsuna tried to regain a sense of equilibrium, he slowly tried to blink away the pain in his eyes and take in the change in his surroundings. The area was still pitch black, but multiple white specters, nine if he'd counted right, all of their faces obscured by orange flaming masks.

"So this is the new one." A baritone voice echoed from one of the specters. "He's younger than I expected."

"So young, but not quite ignorant of the mafia's darkness." Another voice, this time softer and feminine. "How long did you say he's had to fight, son?"

"Since he was just eight I believe." Tsuna squeezed his eyes tight and tried to will away his headache as a third voice, this one vaguely familiar, joined in the conversation. "He once told me it was his dream to free other children from suffering the same fate."

"Such a fanciful and unrealistic dream." The first voice scoffed. "The mafia is darkness. The mafia is pain. The mafia is suffering. Whether those who pay the price actually deserve their suffering has never been a manner of choice."

"Yes." Another unfamiliar male voice joined. "His duty would be to keep order. Not spend his time worrying about those who cannot be saved." His voice was scratchy and arrogant; Tsuna could almost imagine the sneer on his face. "Such idealism has no place among those in power."

Tsuna's grip on his head tightened as more voices filtered in, telling him how weak and hopeless both he and his dream were. Soon, visions of fire and the noxious smell of blood began to invade his senses. Men, women, and children all screaming, crying, and dying. Their fear was so real and palpable that Tsuna could feel tears building in response to their cries of pain and suffering. Tsuna shook his head, desperate to rid himself of the images.

"This is the truth of the mafia." The familiar voice was not as cruel as the others, but the words still cut as deep as the visions. "One child could not hope to make such a difference in this world of darkness we live in. If you cannot accept the truth than you do not have the right to hold the fates of others, you do not have the right stand above those who do understand the necessity of this pain. You cannot-"

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Tsuna snapped his eyes open, his flames flaring back to life as his eyes bled into a richer shade of amber than normal. "I don't care if it is just a dream, I will save the people who don't deserve to suffer!" The specters seemed take a back by the fierceness in his voice as he stood to face them properly. "I know the pain that comes with being a mafia child, even if others tried to keep me out of it. I know what happens to those who are left in ignorance, only to be snatched away and broken." Memories of fear and pain, memories of the onetime an assassin had managed a lucky hit, came back to the surface. "I won't let this continue. I won't let the children suffer because of the mistakes the adults seem so desperate to make. I'll make it stop… EVEN IF I HAVE TO DESTROY THE VONGOLA TO DO SO!" Silence ensued as Tsuna vision blurred and he began to sway on his feet. " I-I won't l-let… anyone else… anyone else…"

Once again his world turned white, only this time the light became a source of comfort, rather than pain. Tsuna gave a soft sigh of relief as he tumbled forward, prepared to fall into the bliss of unconsciousness, only to be jerked back awake as he fell into someone's arms. He opened his eyes to find why one of the voices had been so familiar. Holding him gently with a kind expression on his face was Timoteo, Vongola Nono.

"Wha-"

Tsuna was unable to finish his question as he was eased back onto his own feet and Nono went to stand beside several other familiar looking figures. Tsuna had seen many of these people in picture and portraits, and only heard vague descriptions of the others in his search for information on the Vongola Famiglia.

Standing before Tsuna now were the previous Vongola Bosses, the odd numbers lined up on his left, the even on his right, beginning with Secondo and ending with Nono. One more figure, whose face was still obscured by the flaming mask, was standing at the head of the Dons.

"I have waited a long time for this." The masked man spoke to him in a gentle tone, even kinder than Nono. "I have recognized your resolve, and our time shall now become yours."

Tsuna watched with wide eyes as the man removed his mask, confirming Tsuna's suspicions as to his identity. The one said to be the strongest of the Vongola, Giotto, Vongola Primo. Even as the previous Vongola Bosses lit their flames, one by one, Tsuna's gaze was transfixed on his ancestor.

The man appeared to be young, no older than thirty with his smooth pale skin and handsome features. His spiky blond reminded Tsuna very much of his own main, in fact, Tsuna felt that if he were ever to look at a picture of his future self in Hyper Dying Will Mode, the only difference he would find would be the hair color.

"Primo?"

Primo offered Tsuna a kind smile as he lit his flames last, using gloves very much like the ones Tsuna himself was wearing.

"Perhaps you could do what I could not."

With that Tsuna's gloves began to glow far brighter than ever before, his flames becoming clear and brilliant. The raw power was so immense that Tsuna barely heard the sound of the Cloud Hedgehog cracking around him.

*End Flashback*

After he'd broken out of the Hedgehog, Kyoya and Lal and begun to drill him on how best to utilize his new hard flames. It was difficult, controlling the wild and untamed power that the previous Vongola Bosses had given him, so much so that he'd accidentally rocketed himself at the ground and the wall more than once. It was odd, but Lal seemed more impatient during their training and got angrier whenever he made a mistake than Kyoya. Perhaps it was because even after all of these years, he and Kyoya could still understand one another in such a way that didn't require many words. Kyoya understood Tsuna's difficulty and pushed him with relentless assaults. Yelling and frustration would get them nowhere, only action would draw out Tsuna's true potential. Perhaps Tsuna should feel guilty, pushing Lal off to the sidelines as he and Kyoya met in a dance they'd been practicing for years, but he didn't. Even though Lal had protested being ignored at first, even she had to fall silent as she witnessed just how effect both he and Kyoya were when pitted against one another.

_We only have so long before the Millefiore make a move._ Tsuna buried his head deeper into the pillow. _I have to figure out how to get a handle on these new flames before then. If not I'll-_

"Juudaime!"

Tsuna had been so out of it, he hadn't even heard the door to the room slide open, revealing a shell shocked Hayato.

"Oh, sorry Hayato." Tsuna slowly sat up, ignoring his protesting muscles. "I just didn't have the energy to…"

Tsuna needn't have bothered trying to explain, he realized with a sweat drop forming on the back of his head, as he watched his Storm Guardian pass out with a bit of blood running down from his nose. It was both sad and amusing to realize that Hayato really was like a dog sometimes in that the simplest things easily over excited him.

(A.N. Now I feel like I need to say something to all of the diehard reborn fans out there, as I was only recently able to finish the last twenty chapters of the Hitman Manga. We all know the beginning to Reborn was slow and it was hard to really get into the series until after Mukuro made his first appearance and we started seeing the serious side of an otherwise comedic manga. Once we saw the actual conflict (and the dangers that being associated with the mafia should come with) it was easy to fall in love with the poor kid that was being dragged into a century's old conflict because he was descendent from Primo and his father decided to get involved in the mafia. The Varia and Future arch's were masterpieces that really show Tsuna growing and becoming the hero/mafia boss Reborn envisioned him to be. In terms of character development, Tsuna's was the most thorough and the most dramatic I've seen in a manga for a long time. However, like all good things, Reborn had its pitfalls as well. The future arch really set you up to transition into the Arcobaleno's story, we had peaks into their pasts, we knew what they looked like before the curse, it was clarified that the Arcobaleno were cursed, and we saw their desire to break that curse, but we got the Simon arch instead. Now I thought the Simon arch was ok, but just ok. I think the reason the Reborn ratings dropped to such low levels was because Akira didn't go from the Future arch into the Curse of the Rainbow arch, no she put the Simon arch, _filler_, in-between them. Now some argue that the Simon arch cleared up many questions about the first generation and how and why Daemon Spade betrayed Primo, but I feel like that could have been taken care of when Tsuna had to fight him during the future arch, it may have been a little rushed then, but it would have been better the dragging out a centuries old conflict with a family that is basically a regurgitation of Tsuna's family. If she had gone straight into the Curse of the Rainbow arch, I feel as if Akira would have had more time, and chapters, to really develop the fight with Jager and Bermuda and how to deal with Checker Face. The Rainbow arch had so much build up and so much potential, even going so far as to get into Tsuna's issues with his father, that the ending was one of the most disappointing I've seen in a long time. Shonen Jump pushed for an ending to the series because of poor rating, I get that, but the ending, not just for the arch, but for the _entire _series was just so rushed and so anticlimactic that it pisses me off. If she had gone into the Rainbow arch before attempting something like the Simon arch, she would have had 2 more years to develop a more appropriate and satisfying ending, rather than Tsuna didn't change at all, he just made a lot of friends. Now with my ranting out of the way, I will be clarifying that I do not intend to include the Simon arch in my Hacker Series. I hope I haven't offended or chased anyone off with that, because I think my story, and not my opinions are what should matter, but whatever. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and will stick around for many more to come, ja ne.)


	8. Of Best Friends and Crazy Marsh Mellows

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR. If I did Tsuna would be a true super uke and smarter, sorry as much as I love and will write about the lovable idiot, Goku and Naruto have made it so too many main characters are idiots.

Summary: Nono, his parents, and the Arcobaleno are all dead. Trapped in a future that's falling apart, Tsuna must fight with both himself and the dreaded Millefiore famiglia. Sequel to Hacker.

Chapter 8: Of Best Friends and Crazy Marsh Mellows

Despite his exhaustion and sore muscles, Tsuna decided it was better to help his passed out Storm Guardian into bed than to just leave the poor boy in the hall where he could be trampled. Not only would he feel guilty about it later, but he also couldn't afford any of his available Guardians getting sick. Besides, he still had a few things he needed to do before sleep would even be possible, he'd only returned to the room in order to pass some time before he knew the other would be ready for him.

Tsuna bit back a groan as he lifted the heavier boy and half dragged him to the bottom bunk. Hayato didn't even stir as Tsuna worked off his shoes and jacket, helping him to get comfortably situated. Once he was satisfied Hayato would freeze or wake up with a sore neck, Tsuna nodded to himself and stood up.

"Good night, Hayato."

Tsuna gave Hayato a quick pat on the shoulder before forcing himself to walk away from the welcoming aura of a soft bed and a warm blanket. He quickly made his way through the hall and found the nearest elevator, after inputting the necessary code for floor he wanted (after all, this floor was restricted to most of the bases occupants) Tsuna sagged against the elevator wall and waited as he descended.

It was time he and Kyoya had a talk, away from any prying eyes. While the others had been helpful, getting him up to date on the world events, changes in technology, and what they knew about the Millefiore, Tsuna knew there were only two people the future version of himself would have confided everything and only one of them was currently in the base, Mukuro's location still unknown. There were bound to be some things Kyoya couldn't tell him, especially if the future version of himself didn't want him to know until certain events occurred, but Tsuna was sure there was more to his supposed "death," than some desperate attempt to negotiate with the Millefiore. If there wasn't… then he must have taken a hard hit to the head sometime in the last ten years.

Tsuna was distracted from his musings as the elevator chimed; happily informing him that he'd reached his destination. Kyoya's section of the base truly was something else, designed to look like a traditional Japanese estate, complete with a large dojo that Takeshi was currently occupying and a tea house section. Familiar with Kyoya's habits, Tsuna started heading toward the tea house, before making a detour into a side room just to the left of it. As he expected, the room was filled with various kimonos, hakama, haori, gi's and yukata of many different size, color, and design.

A quick look around the room informed Tsuna that Kyoya did still keep some in his size and fit to his tastes. Tsuna picked out an orange yukata to wear underneath a pair of plain black hakama and a black haori that was decorated orange petals that looked as if they were being swept across the fabric by a breeze. After securing a black obi, setting his clothes aside in a basket in a corner, and checking to make sure everything was situated the way it was supposed to be, Tsuna decided he was fit to join Kyoya for tea. Tsuna was one of the few people who could get away with showing up to tea with Kyoya while not in the proper dress, but that was largely because he never did so. He and Kyoya had long come to an understanding concerning Kyoya's obsession with the traditional Japanese style and ceremonies, and that wasn't something Tsuna would ever violate.

Tsuna wasn't surprised to find Kyoya and Tetsuya already sitting at the low table with a cup of green tea in hand. Tetsuya sat in a grey yukata and navy blue hakama that complimented his grey eyes, while Kyoya was dressed in a simple black yukata with a white obi, taking on the appearance of simple elegance. Upon Tsuna's entrance, Tetsuya quickly excused himself, pausing only to give Tsuna a polite greeting and a bow before leaving his two superiors/friends to talk.

"You're earlier than I expected, Omnivore."

Tsuna gave Kyoya a soft smile as he moved to sit opposite of his now much older friend. The situation left them unable to sit down and talk earlier, but this short reprieve would allow them the time they needed. Tsuna knew Kyoya would be expecting him sometime before their next training session, most likely after a lengthy nap, but Tsuna wasn't the type to put off this type of meeting. Not with so much at stake.

"I need you to tell me something."

KHRKHRKHR

It took all of Mukuro's self control to keep from blowing his cover and simply murdering this white haired oddity of nature that insisted on stuffing its face with marsh mellows. Only two weeks of playing this… things secretary and Mukuro was already beating his barrowed head against a wall in his quarters. He couldn't even be brought to care when the occupants next to him started giving him funny looks.

Many whom have had short meetings with the Millefiore leader would swear Byakuran was polite, generous, and charismatic. His pleasant smile and handsome face won Byakuran many admirers from both sexes, but he lacked the self awareness to realize why they stared. He often appeared simple, but that was one of his qualities that drew people to him, it made them believe Byakuran would be easy to be around and easy to exploit.

Yeah right.

In the short time Mukuro had been possessing the body of Guido Greco, or rather "Leonardo Lippi" as he was currently posing, he'd learned that Byakuran was far from what he appeared to be. Byakuran was definitely polite and often treated Mukuro to a kind smile, but Mukuro could see something akin to madness lurking just beneath the surface. He was also arrogant and condescending in a way the most people didn't even notice they were being insulted.

But Mukuro noticed. Mukuro noticed because he also used such techniques to get under peoples skin or to gain their trust. It was hard to discern how much of Byakuran's persona was a mask and how much was real. The man could be a true enigma.

"Can you bring me more marsh mellows, Leo-kun?"

"Of course, Byakuran-sama."

"And while you're at it could you get me the right brand this time." Mukuro's eyebrow twitched as Byakuran smiled at him cheerfully. "The ones you got me last time weren't fluffy enough."

*Twitch* "Of course, Byakuran-sama." _They're the same damn brand you've been eating since before I got here._ "What brand would that be, Byakuran-sama."

"Hmm." He tapped his chin as he seemed to contemplate the marsh mellow brands he knew (probably all of them). "How about you surprise me, surely someone like you can figure out which brand of marsh mellows is the fluffiest."

*Twitch* "Right, I'll… be back soon… Byakuran-sama." Mukuro spoke slowly, trying not to let his true emotions show. "I'll make sure the marsh mellows are… fluffy."

"Thank you so much, Leo-kun." Byakuran's eyes looked so sincere that it was almost sickening. "I'm so glad I can count on you when it really matters."

*Twitch* _Think of the mission. Think of the mission. Think of the mission. Think of the-_

"Oh, and don't forget my bowl this time. I can't have a secretary as forgetful as to serve me marsh mellows without my favorite bowel, now can I? What would Shou-chan think then?"

*Crack* _I'll show you when I bleep bleep bleep with a bleep on your bleep bleep bleep and make you bleep my bleep bleep and use a bleep to bleep. Then I'll make you bleep bleep and see bleep with my bleeping ring so bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep you!_

Mukuro took carefully measured steps as he forced himself to walk out of the white office and away the marsh mellow lunatic. He forced his breathing to remain as normal as possible, the only visible sign of his anger showing threw was a slight tension in his shoulders. Indulging in violent fantasies helping to internalized his desire for revenge for all of the humiliation he's had to suffer since becoming "Leo-kun."

As frustration as the situation had been, it had not been entirely useless. The intel he'd managed to gather in this short time had been more than worth it, especially when it was the Millefiore who… Mukuro paused and clenched his fists as it became more difficult to hold in his anger at the situation. He shook his head, now wasn't the time and Chrome and the others should be arriving in Namimori with, his currently soulless, body soon.

He'd finally be able to say a proper goodbye.

KHRKHRKHRKHR

"Hurry up, bein!"

"Ken, don't be so loud." Chikusa scolded his noisy companion apathetically. "We can't afford to be found."

"I know that, bein!"

"Ken… Chikusa…" Chrome worried her bottom lip as here two companions argued (well Ken argued and Chikusa gave the occasional flat response). "We're almost there, so…"

It had been difficult for Chrome, Ken, Chikusa and Akira to smuggle Mukuro's limp body into Japan, even with Chrome's illusions, but making their way across the country was turning out to be even more difficult. They didn't have enough money left to rent a car and couldn't afford to draw any attention to themselves by stealing one. So they were forced to walk, each taking turns carrying Mukuro.

They all knew they'd be able to relax once they reached the Vongola base, if only just a little bit. Ever since Tsuna had died… Mukuro hadn't been the same. He'd been more angry and likely to lash out at the smallest things, so it almost came as a relief when Kyoya had sent Mukuro the spying mission. It allowed them to get Mukuro into Japan and to avoid his currently explosive temper.

"Maybe…" Chrome began nervously. "Maybe once Mukuro-sama can say goodbye… he'll calm down?"

Neither Ken nor Chikusa had an answer for the down trodden girl. It was something they'd also been wondering since Mukuro demanded they head for Japan, for Namimori, a place Mukuro once said he never wanted to see again.

"Mukuro-san…" For once Ken's voice lacked its normal volume. "I'll never understand why he cares so much about that mafia kid."

Even as he said it, his companions noticed a subtle hint of affection in his voice. No matter what Ken or Chikusa had thought of Tsuna in the beginning, they'd always be grateful to him, Mafia or no.

"Mukuro-sama... he really lo-"

"Chrome." Chrome turned to meet Chikusa's blank gaze. "Don't, you'll only make Mukuro-sama angrier."

"But I only…"

Chrome trailed off and lowered her gaze. Knowing how Mukuro felt about Tsuna did make things worse, when she thought about it.

KHRKHRKHR

Tsuna stood with his mouth opening and closing like a fish as Kyoya calmly left the room. Not truly comprehending what had been said and done in the span of less than half an hour. His normally high functioning brain had decided it was time to short circuit and leave him hanging with only a distorted buzz.

"Oh, Tsuna?"

Tsuna's head turned mechanically only to see Takeshi standing in the doorway of the tea room with towel and sword in hand. He was dressed in a long sleeved grey gi and a pair of black hakama, the part in the gi revealing bandages wrapped around his lower torso. He'd obviously just finished his training for the day and had just passed by the door when he either noticed Kyoya leaving or Tsuna standing inside. Whichever it was he didn't seem to have any greater grasp of the situation than Tsuna did.

"Ur- Yes, Takeshi?"

Takeshi's brow furrowed at Tsuna's slight stutter, ever since they'd known each other he'd never the shorter boy so shell shocked. As Tsuna was slowly becoming more aware of his surroundings he knew he must be quite the sight, with his hair and clothes slightly disheveled, his eyes wide with a dazed look, and…

"I thought Hibari knew not to go for the throat." Takeshi pointed at Tsuna with a confused look on his face. "Something like that could put you out for a while."

"What?" Tsuna's hand shot up to his neck, covering the spot that was still warm and had a lingering tingle. "O-oh this. Yeah, Kyoya just got a little… you know. Ha ha."

Tsuna silently cursed himself as Takeshi's eyebrows shot up. Even if his friend could be fairly simple, even he wasn't stupid enough to overlook Tsuna's obvious discomfort. However, Tsuna was immensely grateful that Takeshi was nothing if not good at minding his own business when he needed to.

"Well ok I guess-"

"Why aren't you calling him "san", Tsuna?" Reborn appeared from behind the perturbed Takeshi. "And who gave you the hickey?"

Tsuna knew his face must resemble a cherry, as Takeshi's confused face became one of understanding. Takeshi may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he knew his friends well enough to understand the implication, especially when it involved Tsuna, of a nervous stutter when accompanied by a hickey.

"Did you and Hibari-"

Tsuna did what he knew was the cowardly way out and took off running past his friend before Takeshi could finish his sentence, determined to get away before things became even more embarrassing.

"I guess not." Tsuna could practically here the smirk in Reborn's voice. "He isn't limping."

Tsuna just wanted to crawl into a hole and die.

(A.N. Now wouldn't you all like to know what happened while Kyoya and Tsuna talked, well you'll just have to use your imagination. I figured it was time I clarified the shipping in this story, or at least part of it XD. Yes I'm going for the yaoi angle, and yes you'll be seeing some 182769 in the future, but the romance will in no way take over the story. The romance is meant to compliment the story, not dictate it. Some of Tsuna's decisions may be affected by it, but not in any way that would blow up the plot. As it is, Hacker is neither a romance, nor a smut series, so even those who don't like yaoi have to worry about getting beat over the head with anything sappy. There will be some "moments" later on, but as I said, it won't become the focus of the story. Anyway, make sure to review and tell me what you think, ja ne.)


	9. The Mist

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR. If I did Tsuna would be a true super uke and smarter, sorry as much as I love and will write about the lovable idiot, Goku and Naruto have made it so too many main characters are idiots.

Summary: Nono, his parents, and the Arcobaleno are all dead. Trapped in a future that's falling apart, Tsuna must fight with both himself and the dreaded Millefiore famiglia. Sequel to Hacker.

Chapter 9: The Mist

Mukuro's chest constricted as he stared at the information on the terminal. It was a struggle to keep from putting his fist through the monitor, if only to get rid of the sting in his eyes that threatened to ruin the image Mukuro had made for himself. This wasn't what he'd been expecting when he hacked (using the skills Tsuna taught him) into the Millefiore mainframe.

He'd been searching for the transcripts from the meeting between all of the generals earlier that day. Byakuran may have said he was welcome to attend, but Mukuro knew better, a lowly attendant would never be allowed into room, the others wouldn't stand for it. So he'd been forced to wait for the meeting to end, so he could sneak in and review the data through a back door Mukuro discovered. Mukuro thought he'd find plans for attacking the Vongola base in Japan, or perhaps information on why the Millefiore were so determined to wipe out the Vongola. But this…

Staring back at him was a face Mukuro thought he'd never see again. It was the face of the only Mafioso that could ever have hoped to hold Mukuro's loyalty, and the only one he'd be willing to lay his life down for. It had only been a few months since he'd last seen that face, but it felt like an eternity.

"Tsunayoshi." Mukuro couldn't stop himself from running his fingers across the digital image. "Perhaps I don't have to say good-bye just yet."

Mukuro shook his head and got to work sending all of the data he could to the Vongola cells still active in Italy. Mukuro wouldn't be able to return to his body until he was certain he had all the information on how the Millefiore trapped Tsuna into the future. He just hoped the others made it to Namimori before then. Mukuro wanted Tsuna to be the first thing he saw with his real eyes.

KHRKHRKHR

*One Week Later*

After nearly ten days of trekking across Japan on foot, the Kokuyo gang had made it into familiar territory. It had taken them much longer than anticipated and they were all exhausted. The decrepit theme park they once called home was their last stop before they made it to their final destination. Weary feet and a sense of nostalgia was all that prevented the group of four (technically five, but Mukuro only half counts when his body is vacant) from simply crossing the last 2 miles to the nearest entrance to the Vongola base. As the human members of the group headed into their old haunt, Akira decided to stretch out under the sun, content to wait until they were ready to leave.

"Ken. Chikusa." Chrome bit her bottom lip as she called out to her companions. "Maybe… maybe we should just go. Mukuro-sama might get angry if we're here when he wakes up."

"What are you talking about, stupid girl." Ken growled as he stopped walking to glare at Chrome. "Mukuro-san'll be angrier if we drop him because we were too tired."

"I guess…"

Chrome fell silent as the group made their way deeper into the crumbling building, until they reached their old lounge. Everything was dusty and covered in cobwebs from years of lack of use, but it was better than nothing. So they cleaned of the couch with the least holes and Ken laid Mukuro down.

The group silently as they perched themselves on various pieces of furniture around the room. Even Ken maintained an uncharacteristic silence as they tried to sooth their sore muscles after the long journey. It helped to know the Vongola base was about an hour's walk from their current location, two hours with Mukuro's unconscious body. Soon they'd be able to relax with a warm meal and a soft bed, so they didn't plan on staying in Kokuyoland for long.

After ten minutes Chrome dosed off into a light nap and Ken wasn't far behind her. Chikusa was the only one to remain alert as his two companions rested. Despite being in familiar territory, the group was still fairly exposed and wouldn't be safe until they reached the base. Chikusa decided to let them sleep for a while, as Ken had been carrying Mukuro for the last five miles and it was Chrome's turn next.

After an hour, Chikusa thought they'd dallied long enough and went to wake his companions. He started shaking Chromes shoulder slightly, but paused when he heard footsteps approaching. Chikusa barely registered Chrome blinking awake and Ken shooting up with a growl, as he took out the box containing his yo-yo's. The sound of the footprints weren't those of a large animal like Akira, they were human.

KHRKHRKHR

Mukuro tensed as he felt a tug on his mind from one of his possessions. Knowing it meant Glo Xinia had made it to Japan and encountered one of his allies, Mukuro quickly locked himself in his quarters. Even if he could maintain multiple possessions at once, it would be difficult to do so when the two bodies were so far apart. Even if he couldn't use his full power while in such a diminutive body, it should be enough to combine his powers with Chrome and take care of someone as distasteful as Glo Xinia.

Mukuro's first instinct was to return to his own body, but it could be difficult to regain control Leonardo's body from so far away. If he remained separate, Mukuro would be able to maintain an open link between both bodies, thus preventing Leonardo from taking back control of his mind and blowing Mukuro's cover. The Vongola couldn't afford Byakuran becoming aware of a mole; especially not so close to the coming attack, he might tighten his defenses or take Shouichi out of Japan.

Mukuro laid his borrowed body on the bed and began transferring the majority of his consciousness. As the body he was taking over wasn't human, it was easier to overwhelm it mind and take control. While he did so, Mukuro felt the flames nature change satisfyingly. This body would be useful, even when he wasn't possessing it.

KHRKHRKHR

Chrome's eyes widened in recognition as the red haired man wandered in with a glowing blue owl trailing behind. She shivered as she took in his twisted smile and the bulging veins around his eyes, giving him the sinister appearance she remembered. The last time Chrome saw this man was six month prior, and she had to jump out of a window and broke her arm to escape him.

He'd caught her while she was separate from the others and nearly killed her. This man couldn't be affected by her illusions and Chrome had effectively been left been rendered helpless. Her years of fighting alongside the Kokuyo gang and Tsuna had taught her some martial skill, but Chromes primary combat capabilities centered on being able to confuse her opponents with the deceptive power of the mist.

"Glo Xinia."

"Aw, so you remembered me, Chrome Dokuro."

He looked so delighted that she remembered his name that Chrome felt sick. Glo Xinia was a sadist of the most depraved sort, having taken pleasure in Chromes cries of pain and commenting on "what a nice voice she had." He even seemed to think Chrome was a masochist and enjoyed the beating he'd given her with his riding crop. Her skin itched as she spotted his weapon of choice and remembered to painful stinging sensation it brought.

Chrome discretely glanced to the side, glad to see Mukuro's motionless body was hidden from view as the couch he was on faced away from Glo. Then she took in the owl floating beside Glo, Chrome was certain she'd managed to scratch the box animal with the trident Mukuro gave her, meaning he could possess it if he wanted, but Chrome wasn't counting on that. Mukuro once told her he could feel it when bodies he was capable of possessing were near his main body, but with three of them already in such close proximity she doubted he noticed one more. Even still, Mukuro wouldn't abandon his mission, so the likely hood of him appearing in either his own body or that of the owl was slim to none.

A growl to Chromes right calmed her nerves somewhat as it reminded her she wasn't alone this time. Glo may be able to see through her illusions when she was alone, but perhaps the distraction of having multiple opponents would be enough to increase the mist's effectiveness, even if only a little. She couldn't be defeated by this man, not again.

"Yes." She kept her voice strong, determined not to give Glo the satisfaction of thinking she was afraid of him. "I remember."

She finished by slamming the butt of her trident into the ground, combining her flames with her own natural ability, and summoned pillars of fire. Chrome grimaced slightly as Glo casually walked through the fire, completely unaffected by the illusion. When she and Mukuro fought together, they could form solid illusions, something she needed against Glo.

"Didn't I tell you before? Such idle tricks don't work against me." His face showed barely concealed madness as he eyed Chrome with desire. "Now let me here more of that delightful voice."

Neither Ken nor Chikusa hesitated and prepared to strike, only to be stopped as Glo summoned another box animal, a giant ten tentacled squid. The tentacles blocked Chikusa's needles, the two rain flames canceling each other out, while Ken managed to slice one of the tentacles in half and get a hold on two more. The squid's many tentacles allowed Glo to utilize both attack and defense without even having to move, something Chrome wasn't sure they could beat.

"Arg."

Chromes eyes widened as Ken started sliding back, he couldn't the squid back for long.

"My Kraken di Pioggia is among the six strongest main box weapons distributed to the funeral wreaths." As he spoke, his eyes roamed up and down Chromes body, making her curl in on herself slightly. "Even with three of you, you'll never defeat it."

_It's no use._ Chromes grip on her trident tightened. _Ken and Chikusa can't get passed his defenses._

Ken jumped back and gripped his right should as blood dripped down his arm. Chrome saw Chikusa also back off to stand beside the blonde. Both were breathing hard and were feeling the effects of the Rain flames tranquil factor. Even though Chikusa was also a rain user, the flames generated by the Mare ring were too powerful for him to fight off.

_We shouldn't have come here. _Chromes hands trembled slightly as she tried to bind Glo with vines, only for him to shrug them off. _Mukuro-sama…_

_**There's no need to worry, my adorable Chrome. **_Chrome jerked slightly as she began looking around for the source of the voice. _**This man may be strong, but he cannot fight our real illusions.**_

"Mukuro-sama!"

Glo paused in his assault against Ken and Chikusa, startled by Chromes sudden exclamation.

"Are you that scared, Chrome Dokuro?" He asked with a laugh. "Hoping your master will come to your rescue."

"Mukuro-sama!" Chrome ignored Glo's taunts. "Where are you?"

Chrome could see from where she was standing that Mukuro's body was still immobile, so she turned he attention to the owl still hovering over Glo's shoulder. She was only half surprised to find two mismatched eyes staring back at her. Mukuro had noticed the owls approach after all.

_**I can only use so much power, Chrome. I need you to focus and use the little power I can spare to form our real illusions.**_

As he fell silent Chrome saw the owl attack Glo, taking him by surprise, while at the same time a familiar warmth spread through her body. Mukuro was feeding her some of his power and she used it to create three solid bodies, one for each of her companions. As soon as Mukuro finished forming, she saw the white owl get knocked back by Glo's riding crop. She quickly handed Mukuro her trident (his was still in her bag) and went to pick up the owl.

"Kufufu. This should be more than enough to beat someone like you."

Mukuro's right eye lit up with indigo flames as he stood in between the Ken and Chikusa illusions.

"The Gufo di Pioggia?" Glo growled as his right eye started twitching. "I've never heard of anyone being able to possess a box weapon before."

"Well I have."

"Bastard…" He seemed angry, but he soon calmed and the twitching stopped. "Even so, it won't do you any good. The Gufo is only my sub box and a few new illusions are no match for my main box."

"Someone like you who can see threw illusions must be able to tell how real we are."

"That's not-" Glo's eyes widened as the illusion Chikusa launched a volley of needles at him, he had only just enough time to react and intercept them with a leg from the Kraken. "It's solid!"

Chrome gave a soft sigh of relief as the real Ken and Chikusa came to stand beside her and watch the scene unfold. She concentrated her flames and made multiple illusions and mixed them in with the real illusions, making it difficult for Glo to discern which was solid and which was not. His concentration was further split as Mukuro attacked him directly, sneaking past the Krakens defenses, Glo was barely fast enough to defend with his riding crop.

"Truth hidden within the lies. Lies hidden within the truth." Mukuro made Glo stumble under the force of his onslaught. "Illusions or real illusions, neither is absolute. This is the mist."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Glo starred in shock as Mukuro simply vanished when one of the Krakens tentacles swatted at him, leaving him open as several needles stuck in his chest. "What!?"

"You've lost your sense of perception." Mukuro reformed to the left of the Kraken. "You can no longer see beyond the mist."

Glo saw multiple Ken's charging from the ground on his right and multiple Chikusa's launching needles from the air and started to panic. They all looked like illusions, but he couldn't be sure.

"Defend!"

"It's no use." Chrome called out from her spot between the original Ken and Chikusa. "They're all illusions."

"This is the end."

_No! _Glo's thought became hysterical as Mukuro was coming down on him._ I can't defend fast enough._

"Damn you!"

KHRKHRKHR

Mukuro slowly blinked the eyes of Leonardo as he returned his consciousness to the body. The battle with Glo had weakened his mind in a way it wouldn't have if he was using his real body, but not so much that he lost control of Leonardo. Mukuro was grateful he wouldn't have to keep up this charade much longer, his true body was in Kokuyoland and the simultaneous attack was only five days away, he just had to turn in his resignation and make Leonardo quietly disappear.

He checked the clock on his nightstand and saw he only had twenty minutes before Byakuran was expecting him in the office. As he stood his body wobbled slightly, his mind had been weakened more than he thought. Shaking it off Mukuro made his way out of the room and towards the office, the sooner he finished his assignment the better.

Mukuro quickly made his way through the halls and it only took him ten minutes to reach Byakuran's office. As he raised his hand to knock on the door he hesitated. Mukuro felt uneasy, as if something bad would happen if he saw Byakuran now.

The door opened before he could make up his mind.

"Oh, Leo-kun?" Byakuran tried to sound surprised, but something about the look in his eyes told Mukuro the feeling had been right, something was off. "Why are you standing in the hall? Come in."

Mukuro started to take a step forward but paused as the odd feeling grew stronger. The office didn't feel right; it was as if some sort of odd force had surrounded its interior, a force that would trap him if he stepped inside. Years of experience training and fighting beside Tsuna told him the strange force was made from sky flames, something only five people still alive could use. The presence of sky flames and the look in Byakuran's eyes only strengthened Mukuro's need to get away

"What's the matter, Leo-kun?"

Byakuran seemed genuinely puzzled now, as if his reaction violated some set script. His eyes narrowed further and Byakuran started giving off an odd sense of urgency. He knew something was wrong.

Tsuna's 15-year-old face flashed in his mind and Mukuro made his decision, Leonardo's body went limp.

(A.N. Some of you may be confused by having Mukuro stay in Leo-kun's body only to just abandon it a few minutes later, but I have a reason. As stated earlier in the chapter, having Leo-kun wake up in his own body while still in the Millefiore HQ and potentially cause a commotion would alert Byakuran that a mole had snuck inside and that could be bad for the Varia's plans. Also by having Mukuro only fight with his mind he gained control of Mukuowl and gave Chrome a chance to shine. Besides, this Mukuro has spent years with Tsuna and has physically been around four other sky flame users (Nono, Iemitsu, Dino, and Xanxus) so he'd know what they felt like. As far as Byakuran's confusion, this Mukuro is different from the ones from other parallel worlds and is the only one who hesitated to go inside, so he wasn't expecting Mukuro to stay outside his barrier. Anyway, I didn't have the heart to put Mukuro out of commission, even if for a little while, especially because he's been so torn up about Tsuna. I thought about leaving this as a cliffy, but decided not to torture everyone, hope you enjoyed it, ja ne.)


	10. How Do You Apologize For Dying

Disclaimer: I do not own KHR. If I did Tsuna would be a true super uke and smarter, sorry as much as I love and will write about the lovable idiot, Goku and Naruto have made it so too many main characters are idiots.

Summary: Nono, his parents, and the Arcobaleno are all dead. Trapped in a future that's falling apart, Tsuna must fight with both himself and the dreaded Millefiore famiglia. Sequel to Hacker.

Chapter 10: How Do You Apologize For Dying

Mukuro slowly came to awareness. The first thing he noticed was how numb his body was after not being used in so the long, the second was irritation.

"Let go, bein!"

"You're all tire to the EXTREME, let me carry him."

"No, bein! It's Chrome's turn, bein!"

"Both of you are too noisy."

"Ken, Sasagawa-san, maybe we should…"

Mukuro was surprised by the situation he awoke into, having expected either to be lying on the couch in Kokuyoland or on someone's back, not to be pulled back and forth by his arms like the rope in a tug-of-war game. Needless to say, Mukuro was not pleased.

"You're all going to die."

What were initial shouts of joy at his awakening, quickly turned into cries of terror.

KHRKHRKHR

Tsuna rubbed his temples in an attempt to ward of his budding headache. While the Varia's transmission had been useful in some ways (informing Tsuna he did still have allies outside the Japanese base and that one of them was heading their way with instructions), it was also irritating to listen to Squalo's obnoxiously long "VOI." A quick glance at how various others in the room were also wincing slightly, informed Tsuna that he was not alone his discomfort.

"What the hell do they mean by simple instruction?"

Tsuna sighed as Hayato hadn't figured out that loud noises were currently taboo.

"Their sending someone our way." Tsuna kept his voice even and low. "Or they already did and that person will be here soon."

"Haha. Looks like the Varia will be helping this time." Takeshi was the only one seemingly not bothered by the loud video. "This is going to be interesting."

"Interesting?" Hayato looked scandalized. "How the hell is this 'interesting?'"

"Ma ma, Gokudera." Hayato's eyebrow twitched as Takeshi smiled at him winningly. "The game always gets more interesting when new players are brought in."

Tsuna tried to tune out the building argument by resting his weary head on the table next to his keyboard. Tsuna's fingers itched to massage the keys, but he didn't trust himself to concentrate while his temples were throbbing. So he just sat there and tried to catch a micro nap before it was time to get moving again, perhaps in a few minutes Tsuna would feel more motivated.

As he dozed, Tsuna brushed off the dark aura building next to him, because he wasn't the target of Kyoya's ire. Tsuna was vaguely amused to realize that neither Hayato nor Takeshi noticed the killing intent Kyoya was directing their way. Part of him told Tsuna he should warn Hayato and Takeshi of the imminent doom, but the more sadistic part kept Tsuna silent, hoping Kyoya would help get some peace and quiet

"Kamikorosu!"

"Ack!"

"Arg!"

Tsuna's mouth curved into a small, tired smile when a series of thumps and startled cries of pain were followed by silence. Either both Takeshi and Hayato had gotten the hint, or Kyoya knocked them out, whichever Tsuna was grateful. His body felt heavy as awareness was slowly drifting away, Tsuna knew it would be less than a minute before his consciousness disappeared completely.

"SASAGAWA RYOHEI HAS EXTREMELY ARIVED!"

The door to the mission room opened up to reveal a beaten up Ryohei.

"Kyoya…"

Tsuna's head lifted in response to the loud declaration, barely acknowledging his older Sun Guardians presence.

"Omnivore?"

"Kill it."

"Gladly."

Several minutes later, and after a barrage of "kamikorosu's," "EXTREME'S," and multiple cries of pain, everything settled down and Tsuna was able to take in the group that accompanied Ryohei. Tsuna froze as the Kokuyo gang filed in, with Akira and Mukuro bringing up the rear. Tsuna stood to greet his friends properly, but was quickly knocked down as Akira plowed into him.

"Muurrrrowww."

Akira let out a piteous wine as he seemed to try and fuse himself with Tsuna.

"Akira, it's okay." Tsuna winced slightly as the Jaguar continued to cry. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Is that so?"

Tsuna looked up, only to flinch as Mukuro's mismatched eyes glared down on him.

"Mukuro-"

"It wouldn't be the first time you broke that promise, after all." Akira vacated his spot on top of Tsuna as he sat up and Mukuro knelt down in front of him. "Care to explain that."

_He doesn't know?_ A quick glance over Mukuro's shoulder at Kyoya's shaking head confirmed his suspicions. _Did the other me think he wouldn't go along with it?_

"I…" Tsuna trailed off, not sure what to say as five pairs of eyes bore into him, waiting for an answer. "I don't-"

"You don't know." Mukuro finished for him. "Kufufu. I suppose you wouldn't."

Tsuna cautiously got to his feet as Mukuro backed away. Lying to Mukuro was not something he wanted to do, but Tsuna didn't have much choice right now. Tsuna just had to trust Kyoya and his future self.

"It might not mean much coming from me, seeing as how I haven't died yet." Mukuro wasn't facing him, but Tsuna would not be deterred and bowed his head. "But I am sorry for making everyone go through something like that. Especially since I'm the one always preaching about how you're not allowed to die."

Most of the rooms' occupants looked awkward as the silence grew heavy, but no one dared (or bothered in Kyoya and Reborn's case) to break it before Mukuro.

"Why are you apologizing?" Mukuro didn't turn around and Tsuna didn't look up, but Tsuna could hear the conflict in his voice. "You're not the Tsunayoshi that died."

"Maybe not." Tsuna's fists clenched at his sides. "But if we don't change things, I will be."

"Tsunayoshi." Mukuro rubbed his temples and turned around. "Look, Irie Shouichi built a large white machine that's trapping you here."

"Could we use it to get back?" Tsuna straightened himself out, fighting to not look at Kyoya. "How does it even keep us here?"

"It-" *Poof*

Almost everyone jumped as Mukuro was enveloped in a pink smoke.

"Oya, oya."

"Well…" Tsuna blinked in surprise. "Shit."

KHRKHRKHR

"… and now all we're waiting for is the Varia's instructions." Tsuna finished explaining to the younger Mukuro. "If I'm not mistaken, I believe Nii-san has them."

"Huh?" Ryohei blinked in confusion as everyone turned to look at him. "Oh, right, the EXTREME instruction from the EXTREME Varia!" Ryohei grinned and then… "I EXTREMELY FORGOT!"

"Nii-san..." Tsuna sighed. "I guess you haven't changed much."

"I knew I'd forget, so I EXTREMELY wrote it down in a way only I could understand." Everyone was relieved as Ryohei pulled out a small piece of paper. "I see… That's right…" Ryohei nodded to himself as he put the paper away. "We received word from Mukuro that you EXTREMELY came from the past a week ago." Mukuro just raised an eyebrow. "It was decided you were to stay put until five days later, and then instigate a simultaneous attack."

"When's the deadline for 'five days later?'" Tsuna's eyes narrowed as he attempted to calculate the chances of success for such an assault. "Did they give you a way to reply, I want to speak with Xanxus?"

"The deadline is today, and they gave me a weird number to send our response through." Ryohei handed Tsuna a piece of paper, this one smaller than the one he read off of earlier. "No matter what you tell them, though, they EXTREMELY won't call off their attack. Xanxus said he would only listen to Nono's orders."

"I wouldn't ask them too." Tsuna took the paper and saw the number was computer binary code. "I need to ask him something, but I'd like to do so in private." Tsuna raised his hand as everyone but Kyoya, Takeshi, and Mukuro began to protest. "I trust all of you, but this is something I can only talk with Xanxus about."

"Tsuna." Reborn jumped up sat on Tsuna's shoulder. "Now isn't the time to be keeping secrets."

"I know, Reborn, but this is important." Tsuna bit his lip. "Let me do this and I'll… I'll tell you the truth about that question you asked me just before we came here." Tsuna could feel Reborn tensing. "I'll also tell you why I lied before."

"I already figured out you lied." Tsuna smiled slightly, he'd expected that. "But I would like to hear why you lied."

"Thank you, Reborn." Tsuna turned back to Ryohei. "Kyoko's been worried about you, Nii-san. You should go see her."

"I EXTREMELY agree."

Ryohei ran out of the meeting room, without asking where Kyoko was.

"Damn turf top!" Hayato ran after the hyperactive boxer. "You don't even know where she is."

"Ha ha. I guess Sasagawa-sempai really hasn't changed."

"Kufufu. He really is hopeless."

"Noisy herbivore."

"Simple mindedness really is his best feature." Reborn grinned slightly as he jumped down from Tsuna's shoulder. "Perhaps you could learn something from him, Tsuna."

Slowly, every member of their mixed-up group filed out, leaving Tsuna alone as he requested. The room seemed strangely empty and the air thick with only occasional beep drifting from the computer monitors. It was odd, less than an hour ago Tsuna was desperate for some quiet, but now it was suffocating.

Tsuna looked at the numbers Ryohei gave him and started working out the IP number hidden within, but was surprised to notice a break in the sequence, indicating a second transmission receiver. The second number could be a backup in case the first one didn't work, but Tsuna didn't think so. He doubted Xanxus would want to speak with him that badly.

It made sense that the Varia sent a recorded message and Ryohei instead of opening a live channel. A live message from Italy would be more likely to be intercepted, while a recording could slip through unnoticed in the world wide data stream of the internet. Giving Tsuna the codes was a sign they believed Tsuna could open a channel that the Millefiore couldn't crack into.

Tsuna started tapping the keys, isolating a low traffic channel and inputting the information from the first code. Setting up security was simple, even with the ten year gap in knowledge, Tsuna was confident in his skills to keep any unwanted guests out. If they did manage to hack in, Tsuna would have long since noticed, cut off the transmission, and erased any usable information.

A few more taps on the keyboard and Tsuna reached out. It only took a few minutes before Tsuna made a stable connection and a few more before it was acknowledged. A window opened on his server and showed an unfamiliar face.

"Huh, so you're the Vongola brat sempai was talking about."

The boy was fairly young, probably between 16 and 18, with green hair and eyes that were accented by thick eyeliner. He had a nice enough face, round and pretty like a girl, but devoid of emotions. His most remarkable feature, however, was an enormous frog cowl.

"You're with the Varia." While the boy looked ridiculous, Tsuna was nothing if not professional when the situation called for it. "I need to speak with Xanxus."

"Right, sempai!" The boy called in a bland tone. "The girly Vongola is on the line."

Tsuna just brushed off the obvious barb; he got the feeling it was just something the boy did.

"VOI, BOSS THE TRASH IS ON THE LINE!"

"Shishishi. So the little brats are really here."

"Mo, where is my adorable little Ryohei?"

"Hmp, the boss shouldn't have to deal with such trash."

Tsuna raised an eyebrow as each member of the Varia, sans Xanxus and Marmon, filed in.

"I glad to see you're all alright." Tsuna managed to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. "But I wanted to speak with Xanxus in private.

"VOI! Like hell-"

A liquor bottle came flying out of nowhere and crashed into the side of Squalo's head, effectively cutting off what Tsuna was sure would have been a long, loud rant.

"Leave trash."

Xanxus stalked into view from the same direction the liquor bottle had come from, his expression as menacing as always. The rest of the Varia looked like they wanted to argue as but thought better of it and left the room as quickly as they'd come in, leaving Xanxus and Tsuna alone.

"It's been a while, Xanxus, though I guess it's been longer for you than it has for me." Tsuna didn't back down as those red eyes glared at him. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Che. Just get to the point, Trash."

"Very well, how much did my older self tell you about the situation before he died?" Tsuna was getting better at not stumbling over references to his own death. "If the operation in five days is going to be successful, we need to consolidate information."

"Whatever." Xanxus grumbled, but Tsuna was pleased to notice an absence of malice. Apparently the relationship between Vongola Decimo and the head of Varia wasn't as shaky as Tsuna had feared. "The trash said something big was gonna happen and we shouldn't make our move against the Millefiore until something even crazier happened."

"My exact words?"

"Close enough."

"So he didn't tell you what to expect? Just that something was going to happen?"

"After the trash died, I figured he knew it was gonna happen." Tsuna kept his face carefully blank. "Which means he probably knew about you too."

"Xanxus…"

"I ain't gonna open my mouth, you damn brat." It was better than being called trash at least. "Just don't go dying again."

As the connection cut off and Xanxus's face cut out, Tsuna got to work erasing any trace of their conversation. What Xanxus said was about what Tsuna had been expecting, even if it was a bit surprising his older self entrusted more to Xanxus than Mukuro. Perhaps he thought Mukuro would try to stop him?

Tsuna shook his head and got to work establishing a connection with the second IP address. While his conversation with Xanxus answered some questions, he was still curious about the second code and who it led to. Most of his guesses were already proven false as he realized the signal was staying in Japan.

"It's been a while, Brat." Tsuna's eyes widened in surprised. "I thought I told you not to die, you're too difficult to replace."

(A.N. Hardly anyone reviewed my last chapter T.T, hopefully more people will this time. It's been a few days since my last update, as I said in chapter 6, I probably won't be able to update every day, but will try to update as often as possible. A cookie for anyone who can guess who Tsuna's talking to XD. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, ja ne.)


End file.
